


The Journal of Talon Tantiss: Jedi Knight and Reluctant Vornskr Owner

by Talon88



Series: The Tantiss Family [6]
Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 05:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 42
Words: 156,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17676995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talon88/pseuds/Talon88
Summary: This is a continuation of last year's Dear Diary Challenge titled: The Journal of a Very Married Talon Tantiss. I am going to attempt to write this year's diary so everybody can understand it, but now that I have written five stories leading up to this diary, I don't know how successful I will be in doing so.





	1. Chapter 1

**_46.8 ABY_ **

**_Entry 1_ **

It is the beginning of a New Standard Year and therefore the start of a new journal. I assume this diary will be read far in the future by my great, grandchildren or some historian wanting to write an unauthorized biography of one of the greatest Jedi the galaxy has ever known. Ha! That would be Luke Skywalker and I do mention him often in my journals.

In case my other journals have been lost to time I will give a brief synopsis of my life and my family up to this point.

My name is Talon Tantiss—the son of retired Jedi Master Mark Tantiss and Kira Starkos Tantiss. I am married to Zylie Karrde, the daughter of Talon Karrde and Zara Maru. I work closely with my best friend and cousin, Ben Skywalker, who is married to Zylie's older sister Valla. The Karrde sisters work in the family trade business and fly a huge Wayfarer-class medium transport cargo ship for their father's company. Over the last year Ben and I have been acting as a roving Jedi. We have our StealthX fighters stored on the freighter and are given Jedi missions in the areas we travel. Having us on the ship lets us to spend time with our wives while allowing us the freedom to work as Jedi.

Most of the galaxy believes my connection to the Skywalker family is by marriage and that my father, a redheaded giant of a man, is the brother of Mara Jade. In reality, my father was a mutated clone created by the Dark Jedi Joruus C'baoth. When my father was pulled out of a stasis chamber on Wayland back in 9 ABY he looked just like Luke Skywalker. Over the next few months he grew taller and more muscular. My Aunt Mara believes he was intended to become an Imperial Sentinel—a giant, muted and chemically lobotomized warrior completely subservient to the will a Dark Side Adept. Lately I have wondered about this theory. If Dad was supposed to be a brain dead sentinel then why did he get military flash training? Why did C'baoth create him and then not use my dad in defense his secret base on Wayland? I guess I may never know the answer to these questions.

My father decided he didn't want people asking him if he was related to Skywalker so he died his hair red and his irises green, the same as my Aunt Mara. He then claimed he was her long lost brother. He was one of Luke Skywalker's first Jedi students.

My father met my mother while on a mission to Byss. He rescued her from the Emperor Reborn's citadel shortly before the destruction of the Imperial planet. They have been together for thirty-five years now.

I have an older brother named Jaden who is a Jedi healer at the Temple on Coruscant. He is married to Jysella Horn, another Jedi healer, and they have a daughter named Jessa.

I don't have any children with Zylie, but I did father a child almost thirteen years ago while on a Jedi Mission. Ben and I were assigned to guard Queen Kaie of Indubar and her identical twin sister (and body double) Ema Aiti. The King of Indupar died when the queen was a two weeks pregnant. Since she was not of royal blood her child would be eventually crowned. She feared her husband's relatives might want to kill her or the baby, so she fled with her sister to Coruscant and requested the protection of the Jedi Knights. While guarding the ladies I had a brief affair with the Queen's sister, Ema. I didn't know she was pregnant when they returned to Indupar. I also didn't know the queen miscarried on the way back to their planet or that Ema traded places with her identical twin in order to put my son, Marcus, on the throne. At first I was furious at the duplicity, but I was later convinced it was in the best interest of the Indupar Crown Worlds. It wasn't until the last year or two that I have had any relationship with my son. He was officially crowned as King on his twelfth birthday. Hopefully I will now have more freedom to visit my son.

Meanwhile I have been working as a Jedi Guardian and trained Void Jumper. Most of the time I take on missions ordered by the Grand Master, but often I am loaned out to the Galactic Alliance military as a _'Jedi Asset'_. In these cases I work for the military. When I am not doing Guardian details I help out my cousin Ben in his Sentinel duties. A Jedi Sentinel is similar to a law enforcement officer. Ben loves dragging me along on difficult cases because I possess a rare Jedi talent. I am a post-cognitive. I can touch objects and tell who last held it or events tied to the object. Unfortunately, when he asks me to use this talent, he is usually handing me a weapon used to torture and kill some poor soul. I really don't like having visions of such sadistic brutality.

I think I will cut this entry short. We (Ben, Valla, Zylie and me) are going to a New Years Day party on the planet Kuat. I have been told the Kuati people know how to party. Hopefully my next entry doesn't have me complaining about a hangover.

.

.

**_Entry 2_ **

The New Year has been very, very interesting so far.

Ben, Valla, Zylie and I decided to attend a New Year's celebration held at an upscale hotel convention hall on Kuat. It was expensive, but we hoped the hefty cover charge would keep out the riffraff. Unfortunately, this was a costume party so the ladies dragged us men to a costume shop. Ugh. I hate shopping.

We went to a warehouse store that sold costumes, uniforms and party supplies. Ben and I walked the rows and rows of costumes like two men on a bored-to-death march. I guess the ladies got tired of our whining because they pulled us to the dressing room area and had us sit down while they picked out costumes for us to try on.

Zylie was the first to return with a outfit. "This looks so sexy," she purred as she held up a package. "It is a _Savage_ costume. We have to purchase a fake sword separately, but it is sooo perfect." She hands me a very small plasto bag with a small piece of fabric inside. I tentatively reached in and pulled out a small loincloth.

"Stang!" Ben started laughing until his face was as red as his hair.

"Really, Zylie?" I stood, legs apart in a warrior stance, as I held the loincloth up in front of my crotch. I gave her a sidelong glance. "Be serious. First off, if I went to the party dressed like this I would be swarmed by women and second this is not enough fabric to contain my manly assets."

Ben snorted and began laughing again. I turned and threw the costume at him. "But it may fit my _little_ cousin."

Before he could give a scathing retort, Valla showed up with a much larger costume. "It's a Hapan Prince!" She says excitedly.

"Valla, I hate to break it to you, but your husband is not handsome enough to be a Hapan." I grabbed the costume with a smirk and checked out the sample image on the package. It showed a male model wearing tight, bun hugging purple pants, an effeminate white puffy shirt, along with a vinyl black belt and a toy blaster. I grinned at Ben. "This is perfect for you. It emphasizes your manly qualities…or lack of."

He folded his arms across his chest and glared at me. "Funny Talon. Perhaps the ladies can find something to fit your personality. Maybe you can go as a feminine hygiene product because you can be such a d…"

"Ben!" Valla warned her husband. "Be nice. We'll get you boys something you'll like instead of something we want to see you in."

"Thank you!" I said sarcastically as I picked up the tiny loincloth and shoved it back into its package. When the ladies were out of earshot I said to Ben, "We should go as Jedi."

Ben crooked a smile. "We could. That would save us a lot of money and embarrassment."

The women returned with two other costumes. Zylie handed me a light plasteel set of mandalorian armor. I liked it for a second, but then I shuddered as a horrifying childhood memory surfaced. I was eight-years-old when I woke up late one night from a bad dream. I remember rushing into my parents' bedroom only to find my father wearing boxer-briefs, a Mandalorian helmet and cape. Yuck. I don't want anything that reminds me of my parents' weird dress-up fetishes.

Ben's costume wasn't much better. It was a Wookiee get-up. I'm sure he really doesn't want to walk around in a suffocating full body costume all night. He shook his head as he handed it back to Valla. "Talon and I decided to go as Jedi Knights."

They gave us their best pouty faces, but they didn't argue. I think they were just happy that we agreed to go to the party in the first place. I turned to Ben and grinned. "Now we get to pick their costumes."

Ben's face lit up. "Oh yeah."

Zylie held up her hand. "Stop. I don't trust Talon to pick out my costume. Ben, you do it." She looked at me. "And you pick one out for my sister. This way we'll know it'll be modest."

I laughed. "Are you assuming I wouldn't want to see your sister in a sexy costume?"

_Opps!_ That was the wrong thing to say. All three of them glared at me. "I was joking!" I turned and quickly walked down the store aisle. "I'm off to find a modest outfit. Maybe I'll find a Boushh the bounty hunter costume. That worked for Aunt Leia when she snuck into Jabba's palace. There is nothing more modest than that."

I looked through the costumes and found something perfect…perfectly inappropriate, that is. I brought it back just as Ben was returning with a costume for my wife.

Ben held out what looked like Stormtrooper armor, minus the helmet. It was basically a big-breasted white plasteel armor push-up chest piece. The lower part of the costume was knee-length skintight shorts with a small piece of white armor over the front thighs. He handed it to Zylie. "I thought you might like this. It's modest, but I think Talon will like it also."

"I love it!" Zylie snatched it up and then looked to see what I brought for her sister.

I bit my lower lip trying to contain my laugher as I pulled the costume out from behind my back. "Look what they had. A metal bikini!"

Both the ladies groaned and rolled their eyes. Ben tried to look mad but eventually started laughing. "She can wear it, but only if you pay for my therapy afterwards."

"Put it back, Talon," Valla insisted. "Get something appropriate that doesn't remind my husband of his Aunt Leia. And that means no Boushh the bounty hunter, no princess outfits and definitely no metal bikinis."

They're no fun! I eventually got Valla a sexy female Imperial officer costume that she and Ben liked.

So we are set to party tonight!

By the way, I did buy that _Savage_ costume…but that is for later when I get Zylie in our cabin alone. HA!

.

.

**_Entry 3_ **

Party! You know, Ben and I really haven't partied much since we left Coruscant. Nowadays we are either cooped up in a freighter or on Jedi missions. We should go out on the town with our ladies more often.

Ben and I wore full Jedi robes with lightsabers while our wives were dressed like sexy Imperials. Ha! I love it. We had ID10T take a holo of us before we left. The ladies did look enticing. I told Zylie, "Aren't you a little sexy for a Stormtrooper."

As we entered the party our ears were immediately assaulted by loud techno music. Its high-energy rhythmic beats were synchronized to dazzling strobe lights that filled the darkened room with a fantastic light show. There was a large dance floor at the center of the room where dozens of partygoers danced; most wore glowing gloves or self-illuminating body gel and little else. I suddenly felt overdressed among the scantily clothed attendees.

Zylie turned to me and shouted over the music. "See, the Savage outfit would have been fine here."

I watched a group of young ladies dressed as pleasure slaves walk past me clad in sheer Lashaa silk and Jerba leather. "I see that."

Zylie punched my shoulder and I had to smile. "Admit it, you're glad I didn't wear the loincloth."

Her face pinched together trying to hid a smile. Eventually she laughed. "You're right. I don't want other women ogling over you while we dance."

"Speaking of dancing," Valla shouted to be heard. "Lets find a table and then get on the dance floor."

We elbowed our way to one of the few available tables located far from the MC's sound amplification system. That was fine with me. At least we could hear each other without screaming. We sat down and ordered drinks from the table's computerized menu touchpad.

"Shall we dance?" Ben smiled as he offered Valla his hand. She stood, her eyes never leaving his as she leaned in and kissed him softly on the mouth. It wasn't a lingering kiss, but it was long enough to get my cousin blushing.

"Get a room!" I joked.

Ben flashed me the smuggest grin. "We probably will before the night is over." He wrapped his arm around his wife and guided her to the dance floor.

Zylie looked to me. "Aren't we going to dance?"

I shrugged. "Let's get a drink into me first. You know I dance like See-Threepio when I'm not relaxed."

"Fine." She gave a slight roll of her eyes before she changed the drink order to add a _Flame-out_ —the strongest alcoholic drink that a licensed establishment could sell.

I gave her a shake of my head. "Zylie, that has spice in it."

She grinned. "I know, I am hoping to get you drunk and get lucky tonight."

"You don't have to get me drunk for that." I smirked. "You're always lucky to have me."

"Ohhh," she moaned with a hint of teasing in her voice. "You are so vain."

I chuckled. "Zylie, I only have eyes for you." Ironically, at that very moment three young ladies caught my eye. I gave Zylie a nudge. "We have more Jedi Knights."

Zylie looked in the direction I indicated and burst out laughing. "Are you sure those aren't Jedi Lap Dancers."

I had to grin at their costumes. All three women wore Jedi tunics, but it appeared they either forgot the trousers or they could only afford half a costume. The tunics didn't even reach mid-thigh and barely concealed their thong-covered bottoms. They also had strange looking lightsaber replicas hanging from leather black belts. I stared at the bogus weapons, trying to focus in the dim light. "Those are toy lightsabers they are wearing, right?"

Zylie gazed at the women for a moment before she blushed. "Those are toys, but not lightsabers." She burst out in hysterical laughter before she started coughing and hyperventilating. Unfortunately she only brought attention to us. The ladies looked over to me and then whispered something to each other before bouncing over in my direction. "Kriff! They must have heard us, Zylie. They're coming over here."

"Oh my stars!" One buxom blond said to me while pointing at my Jedi robes. "We must have shopped at the same place." She turned to her equally blond friends. "We're Jedi too!"

These women were young, probably just over the eighteen-year-old drinking age. "Yep, we're all Jedi. " I somehow managed to say that with a straight face while their phallic shaped lightsabers practically swung in my face.

One of the women with a plunging neckline leaned closer to me, scrutinizing my face before she hopped up and down with a shriek. "I know you!" She turned to her friends. "Do you remember that boring holonet news report our professor had us watch about the fighting on Treemar?" She pointed to me. "This is the Jedi in that story!"

"A real Jedi!" the other Jedi impersonators squealed. One woman with platinum blond hair looked at me earnestly. "We are the biggest Jedi fangirls in the galaxy!"

"Thank you," I muttered while stealing a glance to Zylie. Her eyes narrowed and I could feel her irritation through the Force. "Well, uh, have fun at the party," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Before we go, can you answer a couple questions we have about the Jedi?"

I groaned inwardly. Usually these questions involved Force-enhanced sex or Force-enhanced foreplay. I shook my head. "I really want to get up on the dance floor with my _wife_." I emphasized my marital status hoping these women would take a hint and go away…of course, they didn't.

"Pleasssseee!" The three women begged in unison.

I blew out a frustrated breath. "Okay, one question."

There was another squeak of delight before the women huddled together to come up with the one Jedi question that their curious Jedi Fangirl brains absolutely needed answering. They turned back to me and said, "Do you know Ben Skywalker?"

My jaw dropped and I could see Zylie struggling to keep a straight face. I was going to lie and tell them no, but Zylie chimed in. "Yes he knows him. They used to be roommates at the Jedi Temple."

That announcement was rewarded with more ethusiastic shouts and then a steady barrage of questions.

"Oh my stars, is it true that he is one of the strongest Jedi?"  
"I heard he has a great sense of humor!"  
"And that he has the highest Intelligent Quota of all the Knights!"  
"He can see the future."  
"And the past!"  
"He's really fun to be around."  
"He's unbeaten with a lightsaber and is a master of hand-to-hand combat."  
"And he's a generous lover."  
"And soooo incredibly sexy," another added.

Zylie had her hand covering her face as she tried, but failed, to hide her amusement.

"I wouldn't know about the last two," I commented dryly. "That you would have to ask _his wife_."

The three women gave pouty expressions. "We heard he was married."

"We were crushed," one of them moaned while holding her hands over her broken heart.

"I could have been the next Mrs. Skywalker," the platinum blond said dreamily.

"I just wanted to meet him." The woman with the cleavage whispered.

I grinned. "Well, you are in luck ladies. He's here!"

Zylie gave me a warning glare that I completely ignored. I pointed to the dance floor. The song had ended and my cousin was now headed towards the bar while Valla walked to the ladies' 'fresher. "He's right there at the bar. You should go up and say hello. He loves meeting his fans."

The three women sent out another earsplitting squeal before they ran across the dance floor towards Ben.

"Get jealous much?" Zylie asked.

I chuckled. "Please, this is payback for letting his parents know we got stuck in the cockpit of my StealthX during our impromptu romantic rendezvous."

A slight smile tugged on her lips. "They did tease us unmercifully about that one."

"Anyway, how bad can it be meeting three fangirls?" I looked over to where the three women had surrounded Ben. One of the ladies pulled out a permanent marker from her pocket and it looked like they wanted Ben to autograph their tunics. At least, that is what I thought they were going to ask until they pulled down their tunics to expose the top of their breasts. "Oh kriff! They want him to sign their breasts."

Zylie shook her head and squeezed the bridge of her nose. "And here comes my sister out of the 'fresher."

I grimaced as I saw my sister-in-law glare at Ben and his little entourage of fangirl groupies. My cousin didn't miss a beat. He took the hand of one of the women and signed his name on the inside of her forearm and offered to do the same for the other ladies.

I blew out a breath. "See, emergency averted. We won't get blamed. He'll just think they spotted him like they spotted me."

Zylie sighed deeply. "Think again Jedi-boy."

I looked back to find the ladies talking to Ben before pointing in my direction. I flinched before I realized ducking under the table was not a viable option. I instead gave Ben a sheepish smile as he glared at me.

"You are so dead," Zylie said with a chuckle.

"You are so right," I groaned.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Entry 4_ **

After Ben signed the ladies' forearms they skipped off happily. I overheard one of them saying, "I'm going to a tattoo parlor and have his signature permanently etched on my body!" That was followed with enthusiastic howl of approval from her friends.

Valla looked a bit pissed when she walked up to Ben. My cousin said a few words to his wife before he pointed to me. She then turned and glared in my direction.

"Dead, dead, dead," I heard Zylie whisper and then chuckle.

My cousin and sister-in-law stalked over to our table and sat down across from me. I was expecting Ben to start yelling but he just shook his head sadly and said to Zylie. "You have my deepest condolences for the future death of your husband."

Zylie grinned as she pretended to wipe fake tears from her face. "Thank you Ben, but the title ' _The widow Tantiss'_ does have an exotic ring to it. I'm sure I'll find love again and move on." She then burst out laughing as I just sat there with a forced smile on my face.

Ben gave me a disapproving scowl. "Talon, sometimes I think you are trying to turn me to the darkside."

"Sorry," I said lamely.

"Ben, don't be mad," Zylie said with a smirk. "Talon got the short end of the deal in this situation."

I groaned knowing Zylie was going to reveal all. I reached over and put my hand on her arm signaling for her to stop talking. "Zylie, there's no need to go into details." I looked back to Ben and gave him my best apologetic look. "I'm sorry for sending those women over to see you. I apologize and will do anything to make amends."

Ben's lips curled up at the corners. "Okay, when we get back you need to give Princess a bath."

I made a face. "Please, anything but that. You know that vornskr hates me."

Ben shook his head. "No, a bath and I'll call us even."

I sighed deeply. "Fine."

"Good." He turned to Zylie. "Now how about those details?"

"Hey! Not having the details was part of the deal!

Ben raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "I don't remember making that promise." He turned to Zylie and smiled. "Go ahead Zylie, how exactly did Talon come out on the short end of the deal?"

And so the whole story came out. I forgot that Zylie has a very, very good memory. She recalled almost exactly what those women said verbatim. At the end of the story both Valla and Ben were in near hysterics.

Valla caught her breath and put a hand out to pat her sister's arm in a consoling manner. "I hope you don't feel too jealous that I got the sexist warrior within the Jedi order."

Zylie was trying not to laugh but wasn't succeeding. "I'm getting used to slumming."

"Ha, ha! Funny guys." I looked around the table. "Where are our drinks?" I punched at the touch screen built into the tabletop and ended up getting an error message. "The damn ordering system is malfunctioning."

Ben stood. "I'll go up to the bar and order." He gave me a wink. "It's a female bartender, maybe she'll give me the drinks for free due to my incredible sexiness." He then laughed and strutted off.

I turned to Zylie. "You just had to tell him. Now he's going to get a big head over this."

She rolled her eyes. "Vanity is not one of Ben's many virtues." She smirked. "Besides, you deserved to be embarrassed. That was mean what you did."

Valla grinned at me. "Payback is a pain in the rear."

"Since I already got my payback, I shouldn't have to give Princess a bath." I folded my arms across my chest defiantly. "She just got a bath last week. Why does she need another one?"

"She sick. We think she got into the trash and ate some rotten food," Zylie explained. "She threw up."

"And then she rolled around in her own vomit," Valla continued.

"Oh, hell no!" I shook my head. "No, no, no way!"

Valla grinned ear-to-ear. "Someone has to do it, Talon."

I grimaced at the thought of bathing a spew-covered vornskr…especially one that hates me and will take any chance to bite me in the groin. I needed a drink.

"Where's Ben with our drinks?" I looked down the bar but didn't see him. After a few seconds I spied someone in Jedi robes out on the dance floor. It was Ben dancing with a young woman. My jaw dropped in surprise. It was not odd for women to ask my cousin to dance, but since he and Valla became an item he has steadfastly refused all dance offers. I now started to wonder if he really did get a touch of egotism over how those three young girls gushed over him. I guess the ladies saw me gawking at the dance floor and turned to see what I was staring at.

I heard Valla gasp when she saw Ben slow dancing with a sexy brunette. "Is that Ben?"

I was about to respond, but was rendered silent when Ben leaned in and gave the woman in his arms a long, sensual kiss.

_What the hell?_

I stood and stared at my cousin slack jawed, unable to believe what I was seeing. I felt like I had dropped into some bizarre alternate dimension where my best friend had just turned into some evil, cheating, sleemo clone. I was vaguely aware of Valla crying while Zylie reassured her sister that it must be a mistake. I found myself incapable of looking away. I wanted to comfort my sister-in-law or rush over and punch Ben, but all I could do was stand there shocked and overwhelmed by a sick, sinking pain in my gut. Eventually Zylie punched my shoulder pulling me out of my stupor. "I'm going to follow Valla. You get Ben."

"What?" I muttered hoarsely before I turned and spotted Valla leaving the club with Zylie following close behind. I stared at Ben for a few more seconds before I pushed my way onto the dance floor. When I got to my cousin he was in a full lip lock with this strange woman. I wedged my hands between the two and pulled them apart. I turned to Ben. "What the hell are you doing?"

He looked at me strangely before laughing. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"What _is_ wrong with you?" I hissed through clenched teeth. "Why are you doing this?"

Ben's voice took on a mocking tone. "Talon, I didn't know you would get so upset about public displays of affection." He grinned smugly before turning to the woman and winking at her. "Perhaps Talon's right. We should take this somewhere private." He turned back to me. "Earlier you told me to get a room. I guess I should do that."

I glared at him as I felt the anger building up inside me. "There is no way I'm going to let you leave here with a Temple-yummy!" Ben's eyes narrowed at my use of that derogatory term. It was a word Valin Horn often used to describe female Jedi groupies who hung outside the temple hoping to hook up with Jedi Knights.

Before Ben could respond the young lady grabbed his hand and tried to pull him off the dance floor. "Come on lover. Let's get out of here."

I stepped between the two and unlinked their hands forcefully, that's when I had a vision…possibly a post-cognitive vision of things that already happened. I saw this woman luring men, one at a time, into her apartment. The men looked happy, even euphoric while in her company, but they also experienced premature aging. Within weeks their hair went gray, wrinkles developed, and the ravages of aged wracked their body until they died as fragile old men.

I gasped audibly as I gazed at her wide-eyed. "Mind-witch!" I whispered. I have heard of them, but I never thought I would ever meet one of these life-force sucking leaches.

"Let me go!" She screamed in near hysterics. "You're hurting me." She pulled her arm out of my grip and tried to flee, but there was no way I was going to let somebody so dangerous get away. I lunged after her, reaching for her shoulder but only succeeded in snatching a fist full of her shoulder length hair. She screamed as I pulled her back roughly, preventing her from leaving.

"Get this maniac off me!" A few people on the dance floor turned in our direction but the music had changed to a loud, pounding beat drowning out her screams. Still we were attracting attention and I hoped nobody jumped in to help her. She grabbed her own hair in her hand and tried to yank it out of my grip, but I held tight. Ben was pulling at my shoulder while demanding that I leave her alone. The woman whipped her head around and gazed into my eyes. At that moment she morphed into an image of Zylie. It was so realistic I almost let her go…almost. I instead tightened my grip. "You're not going anywhere!"

I turned back to Ben to explain to him what was going on when I felt intense jolting pain in my jaw. I lost my grip of the woman as I fell to the ground. The dance participants pulled away from us, some gasped in shock while others encouraged Ben to hit me again. The music ceased and someone could be heard calling for security. I reached my hand up to cup my jaw. It was quickly swelling and I could taste blood from a split lip. I knew Ben could throw a punch, but I have never before been a recipient of his anger. "Talon! Stop! Have you gone insane!" He looked up to the woman. "Valla, get out of here!"

"Valla?" I tried to stand, but my head was still spinning from being coldcocked by my irate cousin. "That's not Valla, Ben!" I searched the dance floor and caught a glimpse of her as she escaped out the emergency exit. I scrambled to my feet and gave chase. I heard Ben call out to me as I burst through the door and ran down a dark alley. The woman was up ahead running at a speed I didn't think possible in heels. I almost caught up to her when I was tackled from behind. I landed on the ground hard and whacking the side of my head on the duracrete. Ben scrambled up to my shoulders and pressed his knee between my shoulder blades to restrain me.

"What the kriff is wrong with you Talon! Are you on spice!"

I lifted my head enough to see the woman reached the main thoroughfare and hail a taxi. I wasn't going to catch her tonight. I lowered my head down to the pavement and sighed. "Ben, that wasn't Valla."

"Talon, I think I know my own wife."

" I know you think that was Valla, but it wasn't. It was a mind-witch. Valla left the club with Zylie after she saw you kissing that woman. You saw an illusion!"

"What?" Ben shook his head. "Mind-witches are extinct."

"That's what your dad thought before he was nearly killed by one." I squirmed under my cousin's weight. "Ben, can you let me up? I surrender." When he didn't move I tried to reason with him. "Ben, either I am telling the truth or I have gone completely barvy. Either way you can verify it by contacting Valla on your comlink. If she said I attacked her on the dance floor I will voluntarily check myself into the local psychiatric ward for evaluation."

Ben got off my back and stood. I turned over and motioned to his pocket. "Go ahead call Valla. She'll tell you she wasn't the one sucking your face on the dance floor."

Ben stared at me for a long moment before he reached into his Jedi robes and pulled out his comlink. He keyed it and listened for a moment. "She's not answering."

"Call Zylie, then!"

He hesitated for a moment before keying my wife's comlink number. "Zylie? It's Ben. Is Valla…" That was all he got out before I heard Zylie shouting at him over the line. The blood drained from his face as his expression went from confusion to one of sheer panic. "Zylie…wait…I know…let me…just let me talk to her…I…no, no. No Zylie, I…" He then stopped and gazed down at his comlink. "She hung up. " His voice was shaky as he ran a hand over his face . "Oh kriff!" He reached down and pulled me to my feet. "Let's get back to the _Vazy Princess."_

I shook my head. "We have to go after the Mind-Witch before she hurts somebody else. She's dangerous."

"No, we have to go," Ben insisted. "Zylie said Valla is threatening to leave when they got to the ship!"

"Oh no." I tried to keep up with Ben as we rushed down the alley, but the pain in my head was incredible. I reached up and realized I was bleeding from a cut above my eye, which I probably got when my head made contact with the duracrete."Damn Ben, I guess you have earned your reputation as the best Jedi at hand-to-hand combat."

Ben slowed down and waited for me to catch up "Sorry Talon. I didn't…I didn't know what was happening. I thought you were attacking Valla. I was confused. I had to stop you."

"Don't worry about me. You've got bigger problems. We need to get to Valla." We flagged down an airtaxi and climbed inside. I kept trying to get ahold of Zylie on my comlink but she wasn't answering. I felt so sorry for Ben. Until we clear up this confusion he is going to have to face two very irate Karrde women…and those are two ladies I would never want to piss off.

.

.

**_Entry 5_ **

On the ride to the ship Ben was having a major panic attack. Every two seconds he tried to call either his wife or mine with no success. His hands shook, his right leg nervously bounced up and down and he started to hyperventilate.

"She's going to divorce me, Talon." He ran his hands through his red mop of hair as he dropped his head back against the headrest. "She's going to first kill me and then divorce me."

"Noooo!" I reassured him. "You can't divorce a dead man."

"Not funny Talon."

I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She loves you. She's not going to divorce you…especially when you didn't do anything wrong."

"I kissed another woman!"

"Yeah, but that was an accident. We'll clear this up."

He leaned forward and buried his head in his hands. "I can't believe she'd think I would cheat on her."

I scoffed. "Ben, let me give you some advice. When dealing with pissed off women, don't try to make yourself the victim…even if you _are_ the victim. That never goes over well. Believe me…I know." I gave his shoulder a shake so he would look me in the eye. "Valla has every right to believe you would cheat on her because she _saw_ you cheating on her. She can't disregard what she saw with her own eyes. So don't be upset with her."

Ben shook his head sadly. "I just thought she would know me better and give me time to explain."

"Ohhhhh," I said in my best sarcastic voice. "Like you gave me time to explain why I was pulling the hair of the woman you thought was Valla before you almost broke my jaw? I would never hurt Valla. Don't you know me better than that?!"

Ben closed his eyes and groaned. "You're right. When you see something happening in front of your eyes, you just react." He turned and looked at me before grimacing. "You look terrible. I'm sorry."

I put a hand over my bruised and bloodied cheek and sighed. "It's nothing bacta won't fix."

The taxi pulled into the spaceport and I was relieved to see the _Vazy Princess_ exactly where we left it. As we walked to the ship, I pushed a button on my ramp remote key causing the gangway to slowly drop down. Ben ran up the ramp as fast as he could with me following close behind. Zylie—still wearing her sexy Stormtrooper costume—was standing in front of Ben's cabin door blocking the way. "Hold up!" She grabbed his shoulders keeping him from approaching further. "She doesn't want to see you!"

Ben brushed by Zylie to enter his cabin.

"Don't go in there, Ben. She's way too mad to talk."

Ben didn't listen to Zylie's warning. He opened his cabin door and was greeted by a snarling, barf-covered vornskr. Princess lunged at Ben, her large white teeth snapping, as drool dripped down her chin.

I have never seen Princess act that way with anybody other than me. Wow, that got Ben backpedaling out of the doorway. Luckily for him Zylie grabbed the vornskr by the collar and yanked the monster back. She restrained the animal until her sister came out of the room, grabbed the collar and pulled the beast back into the cabin…but not before giving Ben an angry glare. Damn, I am so glad that mind-witch didn't put her sights on me.

Zylie closed the door and turned her attention back to us. "She doesn't want to see you Ben.

Ben looked grief-stricken. "I need to talk to her. She needs to understand that I would never cheat on her."

Zylie scowled as she folded her arms across her chest. "Ben, Valla and I both saw what happened on that dance floor."

"It was an accident!"

Zylie scoffed at that pathetic excuse. "You accidentally shoved your tongue down another woman's throat."

Ben looked over to me for support. "Tell her Talon."

I think that was the first time Zylie saw me clearly because her hand flew up to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "Talon! Your face!"

She moved up to me, eyes wide in disbelief. "Who did this to you?"

I gave her a sheepish look as I made a furtive glance to my cousin. "I…um…just had a little accident."

Her mouth shut and I could see her jaw clench in rage as she slowly turned to Ben. "Did you do this to him?"

Ben's head dropped and I could see his face flush in shame. "It was …a mistake. I didn't mean to hurt him."

"I'm getting Princess!"

She took a step toward the cabin and I wasn't sure if she was serious or not. I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. "Zylie, it was an accident. All of this is a horrible misunderstanding." She struggled in my grip and I could feel her anger roll off her in waves. "Please Zylie. Let me explain."

"Fine, explain." She relaxed in my arms and I released her.

"Zylie, the woman we saw was a mind-witch. She can make a person…even a Jedi…experience an illusion. Ben saw her as Valla and when I pushed her away from him she made me think she was you. She looked just like you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Ben's stronger than you in the Force. How come you weren't fooled?"

I wanted to disagree with that belief, but I didn't want to get into an argument about who is the stronger Jedi. "Because when I grabbed her she wasn't you and then she became you. That was my clue that I might be seeing an illusion." I shook my head in frustration. "Ben didn't expect anything. This woman came up to him on the dance floor looking like Valla. He had no reason to believe it wasn't his wife. With me, I saw her morph into you…that's why I knew it wasn't you."

"Zylie," Ben put a hand on her shoulder. "Please talk to Valla for me. Explain what happened so she'll talk to me."

"A Mind-witch?" She shook her head. "I won't be able to answer her questions about this Force stuff." She turned to me. "Talon, you go in and talk to her."

I blew out a thankful breath. "Okay, but put Princess in her kennel. She hates me almost as much as she now hates Ben." I threw my hands out wide. "And I don't know why. I've never cheated."

"Talon! Neither did I!" Ben pointed out.

"I know, I know." I turned back to Zylie. "I'm not going in there until the vornskr is out."

"Okay." She glanced at Ben. "Hide in the 'fresher until I get her in her cage. I don't know if I can hold her back again."

Ben nodded and went over to the 'fresher where he locked himself inside. Once he was safely behind closed doors Zylie went to the cabin, talked to her sister for a minute, before she dragged a snarling vornskr out of her sister's room. "All clear," she said to me.

I poked my head through the cabin doorway. Inside Valla was sitting on her bed with her knees pulled up under her chin. She was still wearing her costume, making her look like a very sad Imperial officer. Her face was red and puffy from crying as she continued to sob softly. She looked up at me and gasped. "Talon, what happened to your face?"

I brought my hand up to my jaw before making a dismissive gesture. "It's nothing. I need to talk to you about Ben."

"Don't help him lie!" Valla said sharply. "I saw what he did with my own eyes."

I walked over and sat at the edge of the bed. "Valla, that woman was a mind-witch. It's a Force-user that specializes in mind tricks. They can entrap people by creating an illusion. Once they get you alone they keep you trapped by the illusion as they drain you of your life essence. They're like Anzats or Energy Vampires…except they don't have to bite a person to suck out your Force energies."

Valla gave me such an utter look of disbelief that I almost laughed. I have to admit, it did sound ridiculous. "It's true."

She gave a contentious snort. "I supposed she was trying to suck his life essence out through his mouth?"

A nervous grin crossed my face. I knew this was not going well. "I'm fairly sure close proximity is the only requirement."

She rolled her eyes. "Please. You and Ben are like brothers. You'd say anything to cover for him."

"And risk infuriating Zylie? No way!" I stood and put my hands over my heart in a solemn gesture. "I swear to you Valla. If it came down to upsetting Zylie or throwing my cousin under a speeder bus, Ben is going down. I would never do anything that would cause me to end up on Zylie's bad side. I love her too much."

A slight smile formed on Valla's face. "That is so sweet of you, Talon."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "It's true. If it came down to Ben or my marriage, I would screw Ben over in a heart beat." Gods, that sounded awful, but it's true to a certain extent. I'd die for Ben, but I would never lie for him to cover an affair.

Her eyes dropped as she sniffled sadly. "I wish Ben was more like you."

"He is!" I said adamantly as I pointed to my face. "He did this to me. When I grabbed the mind-witch he thought I was hurting you…so he beat me senseless." I brought my hand up to my bruised face. "He just about broke my jaw! To be honest, if he actually threw me under a speeder bus it probably would have hurt less." I paused dramatically. "He beat me to a pulp, his cousin who is like a brother to him, because he thought he was protecting you."

Valla's lips trembled as tears flowed down her cheeks. "He did that for me?"

I gave her a forced smile. "He thought I was hurting you. He loves you so much he was willing to beat the snot out of me before giving me a chance to explain."

Valla started sobbing again. "That's so romantic."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "He's truly a man in love. A passionate man with a wicked right hook."

She chuckled softly while wiping tears from her eyes. "Was it really a mind-witch?"

"Definitely! When I grabbed her she morphed into an image of Zylie right in front of my eyes. If I didn't happen to see it at the time, I would have been fooled. Even the Grand Master was tricked by a mind-witch when he was young. They are convincing and extremely dangerous." I waited for her to respond, but she remained silent. "Valla, Ben would never ever do anything purposely to hurt you. Please talk to him. He's a mess. He's scared of losing you. Give him a chance to explain."

She snuffled before nodded her head. "Okay. Send him in."

I grinned broadly. "Thanks."

As I walked to the door she called out,"Talon." I turned to her. "Thanks for being such a good friend."

I grinned. "We're more than friends. We're family."

I left the cabin hopeful for the future…and hoping that this would get me out of giving Princess a bath.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Entry 6_ **

I exited Valla's cabin and found Ben outside pacing the corridor. He looked to me anxiously. "What did she say?"

I threw a thumb in the direction of their cabin. "She'll talk to you."

He closed his eyes and blew out a relieved breath. "Thank you Talon." He rushed past me to talk to his wife.

Zylie came up to me wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing the side of her face to my chest. "Thanks for talking to Valla. She was heartbroken. I got the chance to talk to Ben while you were in the cabin and he is sick to his stomach with worry."

I embraced Zylie as I pulled in a shuttering breath. "I never, ever, want to go through something like that again. I'd rather face a Rancor than deal with such nasty emotional drama."

She pulled back so she could look up at me. "You look like you fought a Rancor."

I gave her a lopsided grin. "You should see the other guy."

"You mean the cute redhead that didn't have a mark on him?"

"I didn't want to hurt the little guy." I joked as I detangled from Zylie's embrace. "Maybe I should see 2-1B and have him patch me up."

I went to see our medical droid. I needed a couple stitches for my forehead and some bacta cream. 2-1B did a brain scan to see if I had a concussion. He also X-rayed my head to make sure I didn't have any fractures. It turns out my jaw was slightly dislocated. The droid manipulated my jaw until he was satisfied it was now in the proper position.

When I exited the small medical bay I went back to my room to lay down. I must have fell asleep because I woke up at a knock at my door. I propped myself up on my elbow. "Come in."

Ben walked in looking much calmer than he was when we arrived. "Thanks Talon…for everything."

I threw my legs over the side of the bed and sat up. "Is everything okay?"

Ben gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "I think I'm more upset with myself than she is at the moment." He pulled out a chair from my desk and sat down. "Are you sure it was a mind-witch?"

I nodded. "It couldn't be a clawdite or Shi'ido, otherwise I would have seen her as Valla also. Plus I had a post-cognitive vision of her draining men of their life-Force. She's a serial killer. We need to find her."

He nodded. "We do, but I'd like to get my father involved in this. He's dealt with a mind-witch before."

"Agreed." I stood and motioned for Ben to follow. "Let's get on the ship's transceiver and give the Grand Master a call."

When we entered the flight deck ID10T turned toward us. "Master Tantiss, may I enquire as to how you became injured?"

"I had to fight off twenty swoop gang members, Ten-Tee."

"I see, Sir. You do not wish to disclose how you were wounded."

I glared at the droid. "You don't think I could fight off twenty men?"

I droid remained silent for a moment. "Indeed I do sir, but your answer caused Master Skywalker to make an expression of incredulity which indicated to me duplicity on your part."

"I hit him, Ten-Tee," Ben admitted.

"Understandable, Sir."

_Understandable?_ "What?"

Ben nudged my shoulder. "Let's make that call."

I glared at the droid before sitting down in front of the transceiver/communications unit. Ben punched in the code for his father's quarters and pushed the send button. After a minute of static my old Master's face filled the screen. Mara Jade Skywalker was getting up there in the years, but she was still a beautiful woman with greying red hair and piercing green eyes. She smiled when she saw Ben, but her expression morphed into one of concern when she saw my bruised face. "Talon, what happened?"

My eyes narrowed in a look of mock annoyance. "Your son hit me."

She looked to Ben and then to me. "Should I even ask what the fight was about?"

Ben ran a hand through his hair. "That's what we're calling about. We had a run in with a mind-witch. She caused me to think Talon was hurting Valla…so I hit him."

A slender eyebrow rose inquisitively. "A mind-witch? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I had a post-cognitive vision of her killing men."

"We'd like dad's help in catching her."

Mara nodded before sitting back in what looked like a desk chair. "That's a good idea. We'll both come out to help. Send me your coordinates."

We sent my former master the coordinates and I left to allow Ben time to talk to his mother alone. Zylie was in the galley sipping caf with her sister who still looked shaken by today's events. I was going to sit down to talk to her, but Zylie signaled me to keep walking. I guess they are doing girl talk. That's okay; I need to sleep off this migraine I'm developing.

.

.

**_Entry 7_ **

We are expecting my aunt and uncle to arrive on Kuat tomorrow. I haven't seen much of Ben or Valla in the last two days and I was beginning to worry. I found Zylie in the galley drinking caf and asked her if everything was alright with her sister and Ben.

She looked up from her drink and rolled her eyes. "Yes. They'll be fine. I think the phase they are going through is called hysterical bonding."

I sat down at the table and chuckled. "Hysterical what?"

"Bonding. I learned about it in my psychology college class. When there is a perceived threat to a marriage the couple might try to reclaim their relationship by having long durations of sexual activity."

"What?" I looked at my cousin's cabin door. "Are you sure they aren't in there talking?"

Zylie scoffed. "You're the Jedi. Why don't you Force-peek?"

I was tempted, just to prove Zylie wrong, but then thought better of it. When it comes to Zylie, I have learned she is usually right. "I'm glad they are getting along." I got up and poured myself a cup of caf before returning to my seat. "Luke and Mara will be here tomorrow."

"We need to give Princess her bath before they get here," Zylie said matter-of-factly. "She stinks."

I grimaced. "I think I deserve a pass from bathing duties. Let Ben do it. He got his revenge on me when he beat me up."

Zylie gulped the last of her drink and stood. "Ben and Valla need time alone and I don't think Princess is going to let Ben near her anytime soon." She turned and moved toward the cargo entrance where Princess was housed. "I'll do it myself if you're not going to help me."

I groaned, but stood and followed her. "If I help you give her a bath can we do some hysterical bonding later on?"

She turned with a smile as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'll give you some wild and frenzied manic bonding."

I grinned. "That sounds good to me."

We entered the cargo area where Princess laid in her cage looking miserable, but she managed to give me a low warning growl when I came near. My nose wrinkled as I caught a whiff of her. "Yuck! She smells rancid."

"I know," Zylie said sadly. "My poor little girl is sick." I let Zylie reach through the kennel bars and put the leash on her collar. She then let the vonrskr out of the cage and guided her over to an area with floor drain. She tied the vicious animal to a wall hook especially installed for this task.

I grimaced at the sight of clumps of vomit on the vornskr's coarse hair. I don't like the animal but for Zylie's sake I hoped Princess wasn't seriously ill. I don't know if we could find a veterinarian who knows how to treat such an exotic animal. "Let's get you cleaned up, Princess."

I picked up the water hose and turned it on while Zylie grabbed the pet shampoo from a storage cabinet. I stood out of biting range as I sprayed the water on the animal. Zylie dumped a generous amount of shampoo on Princess and started to rub it into her fur.

She frowned as she tried to work out the mats in the animal's coat. "I'm going have to cut out some of this matted hair." She gave me an apologetic look. "You're going to have to hold her. She doesn't like the scissors."

"Oh sure," I scoffed sarcastically. " _' Hey Talon, will you please hold onto this psychotic Force hating predator while I walk toward her with a pair of scissors that she hates'_." I rolled my eyes for emphasis but Zylie just shook her head.

"It will take less than a minute. Just hold her collar."

I let out a frustrated breath, but turned off the water and slowly approached the animal. To my surprise she let me grab hold of her collar with only an evil glare. The smell of vomit was overwhelming. I guess Princess is too sick to her stomach to attack me today. As I knelt down next to her I noticed something odd about her belly. I looked underneath the animal and saw bumps along her abdomen. After further examination I realized they were her teats. I've never seen them this extended before. It was like she was…pregnant. At that moment I remember how my father-in-law's male vornskr had gotten loose and mounted Princess a few weeks ago. "Oh, this is just great," I muttered as I reached under her belly to verify what I thought I was seeing. And at that very moment I learned something very important—pregnant vonskrs don't like their bellies touched.

She growled and jerked her head so hard that the leash snapped. She lunged at me capturing my forearm in between her sharp bone-crushing teeth. I know I could probably kill this animal with the use of the Force, but I just couldn't do that to my wife's pet…especially knowing the animal is pregnant. I called out for Zylie.

"Get her off me!"

Zylie grabbed the collar and tried to pull the animal away from me, but the just made the Vornskr bite down harder. At this time blood is gushing from my arm. Ben must have heard Zylie's screams because he ran into the cargo bay wearing only boxers and carrying a blaster. When he took aim on the animal I think everybody was surprised when I yelled. "Don't hurt her! She's pregnant!"

At this point Ben looked flustered, not knowing what to do. "Try to lull her to sleep," he called to me.

I thought that was the most asinine thing I have ever heard, but then I remembered my father had this Force ability. Unfortunately, I don't know if I have this particular talent, and if I did, I don't know if I can concentrate well enough to pull it off. I put my free hand on Princess' head and used the Force to send soothing thoughts to her. I was getting dizzy and I was fairly certain I would pass out from blood loss before this snarling beast would give up the chance to eat me.

Ben came up next to me and put his hand on the Vornskr's head trying to help. I sure hope his presence doesn't piss her off more so she goes for my groin. Fortunately it appeared to help. The pressure on my arm eased and eventually Princess' eyes drooped. Ben grabbed her as she drifted off to sleep and set her down on the deck. He then pulled me off the floor with my good arm and rushed me to the medical bay.

"What is it with the people on this ship attacking me?" I moaned.

"Sorry Talon. I should have never have asked you to bathe her." Ben got me to our medical droid 2-1B and explained the situation. Valla came into the infirmary, blanched at the sight of blood, and quickly left. It looked like she was going to vomit. Maybe she's pregnant also. It's possible, after all they got in enough hysterical bonding in the last couple days.

As the droid cleaned my wound and stitched me up I turned and glared at Ben and Zylie. "I am not bathing that vornskr ever again. Never!"

Zylie came up to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry Talon. I didn't know she was pregnant."

"Of course not. Just because she is irritable and vomiting from possible morning sickness just weeks after getting sexually assaulted by your father's hypersexual male vornskr. Why would we suspect?"

"I'm so sorry." Zylie had tears in her eyes. "Do you want me to get rid of her?"

Gods, I wanted to say YES, but I can't do that to Zylie. She had the animal since she was twelve. "No." I grimaced as the droid sprayed some painful antiseptic on my arm. "But your father takes the litter off our hands. One Vornskr is enough!"

Zylie grinned happily as she stood on her toes and kissed me on the lips. "I love you."

"Yeah, I…OWWWW!" I said as the droid jabbed me with a needle full of something. He then placed a bacta patch on my arm before bandaging it up.

"Okay," Ben said as he patted my shoulder. "I'll let you get back to bathing Princess."

I scowled at my cousin. "If it wasn't for the fact that I know you can kick my butt…I would so put the hurt on you right now."

"You are having one hell of a week Talon." Ben chuckled softly. "Don't worry. Valla and I will take care of Princess."

I jumped down from the exam table and moved toward my cabin. "Just make sure she is secured. I don't want to have any more body parts torn up today."

Valla nodded as she disappeared into the cargo area. Zylie helped me to bed and then laid down next to me.

She gave me a sad smile. "I guess wild and frenzied manic bonding is out of the question now."

I grinned as I shifted in the bed trying to get comfortable. "I may be able to handle some slow and sensual bonding."

"I can do that." She turned and kissed me softly on the lips. "I promise, I'll be gentle."

.

.

**_Entry 8_ **

Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara arrived on Kuat the next day. My uncle wore his Jedi robes, but my aunt was dressed in a casual green jumpsuit with boots and a weapon's belt. I don't think she ever had a fondness for bulky Jedi apparel. As they walked up the boarding ramp of the _Vazy Princess_ they were greeted enthusiastically by Ben and Valla. Zylie and I lagged behind allowing them some privacy.

Ben gave his dad a firm hug before turning to his mother and kissing her on the cheek. "Thanks for coming."

"I will use any excuse to see my son," Mara said with a warm smile before turning to Valla. "And my favorite daughter-in-law." She embraced the younger woman before stepping back and allowing her husband to do the same. My aunt looked up the ramp and spied me and Zylie waiting on board. "Talon, let me see what damage my oldest son did to you."

I grinned as I walked toward my former master and gave her a warm hug. "It's not so bad." I stepped back and traced a finger over the scar on my forehead. "It's healing up nicely."

At that point my aunt noticed my bandaged arm. "I was told you were punched. What happened to your arm?"

I gave a dismissive gesture. "I was bit."

"Ben bit you?"

I had to laugh at the shocked sound of my aunt's voice.

"No," I chuckled. "The Vornskr bit me."

Mara's jaw dropped. "Ouch!"

My uncle came up the ramp and gave Zylie a kiss on the cheek before he examined my bandaged arm. "Vornskr bite, huh? I was told Princess didn't like you. Obviously I didn't know the full extent of her hatred."

I shrugged. "She is extra moody because she's pregnant."

Mara's eyebrow raised slightly. "How did she manage that? Do you have two vornskrs?"

Zylie shook her head. "We dropped Princess off with my dad a few weeks ago and his male vornskr got loose and mounted her."

Mara grinned and turned to Luke. "Maybe your uncle can take one of the litter. He thinks he can talk to vornskrs."

Luke rolled his eyes before addressing Ben. "Your mother is referring to the time we were attacked by one of the beasts while travelling through the Myrkr forest. I had to yell to distract one of the animals to save your mother's life."

"That's only because farmboy was taking long naps while I stayed awake all night popping stimpills and guarding his butt."

Luke gave a nostalgic smile. "Those were the days." He gave Zylie a wink. "Mara won't admit it, but she had a thing for me as far back as Myrkr."

My aunt just groaned and shook her head. My uncle sidled up next to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Admit it," he teased.

Mara laughed before pushing him away playfully. "I'll admit you looked okay in that tight sleeveless t-shirt."

"Arrggghhh," Ben groaned. "Are you two still romanticizing about how you met?" He walked past them and into the main part of the ship while gesturing everybody to follow. "That story gets mushier by every year. Mom admits she admired my dad's toned arms while dad expressed how wonderful my mother looked in her skin tight body suit. They make it sound like they met at a Chandrila beach resort. I've been to Myrkr, remember? It is a hot, sticky, Force-void hellhole full of things that can kill you." He stopped and turned to his parents. "The truth is Mom wanted to kill Dad. They had animals constantly trying to stalk and slaughter them and they were actively hunted by Imperial Stormtroopers. There is nothing romantic about that story."

Mara scoffed. "That's because we left out all the scandalous and licentious parts of the tale. When you were growing up we had to give you an age-appropriate account of our adventure."

Ben's face went slack. "What?"

Luke guffawed before giving his son a slap on the back. "She's joking. You're right. It was an awful experience, but the truth is vornskrs brought us together. Your mom saved me from one and then I saved her. It was the start of trust between us."

I turned to Zylie and smiled broadly. "Did you hear that? Killing a vornskr could bring us closer together."

My wife scowled at my tasteless joke. "The only thing killing Princess will bring you closer to is getting shot out the airlock."

"Ouch." I chuckled then gave my uncle a wicked grin. "Since you like the animals so much, maybe you can take the entire litter off our hands when they're born."

Both Mara and Luke shook their heads in unison. "No way. Why would a Jedi want a Force-hunting predator?"

"I'll say," Ben agreed with his father. "That is almost as crazy as a Jedi keeping a Force-void ysalamiri as a pet." He looked at me knowingly.

"Like I had a choice? I grew up with them, but they weren't my pets. They belonged to my dad and he kept Nibbles because that was the ysalamiri that saved his life and helped Talon Karrde kill the Emperor Reborn. According to my father, that ysalamiri was the hero of Byss."

"That's true, but we can discuss Myrkr fauna later." Luke put his hand on my shoulder as we entered the galley. "Ben said you sensed that the woman you saw was a mind-witch. I need to know everything that happened in detail so we can determine the best way to proceed."

"Okay." I slid into a chair surrounding the dining table. "I'll tell you what I know." I noticed Valla and Zylie didn't stick around to hear all the details. It is still a sore subject for Ben's wife. Hopefully when we put this witch in jail there will be some closure concerning this incident.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Entry 9_ **

Ben and I told his parents all the details of what happened. Uncle Luke listened quietly, occasionally interrupting to ask question or clarify a point. "So, when you saw her Talon she was a young woman?"

"Yes, she just wasn't Valla. She was young and pretty."

"Then that means she is probably a young witch. From my limited experience with a mind-witch she can only fool one or two people at a time. If she was old it is doubtful she could project multiple visions to a group of people. What you, Zylie and Valla saw was probably her true form. This makes her more dangerous."

Ben frowned. "Why is that? I would think an older, more experienced witch would be a greater problem."

"If she found you alone, without witnesses, that would be true." Uncle Luke drummed his fingers on the table in thought. "S'ybll, the mind-witch I went against was very old and ugly in her natural form. It is unlikely she could walk into a crowded dance floor and not attract unwanted attention. Even if she just fed and was once again young looking the effort to hold up that sort of illusion would quickly drain her. Unfortunately for me, S'ybll was able to project an image of my old friend Tanith Shire to get me alone."

My Aunt Mara rolled her eyes. "Old girlfriend you mean."

My uncle turned to his wife, the corner of his lips curling up slightly. "Did I ever tell you, you are beautiful when you're jealous."

"Ha!" She gave him a sultry grin. "I don't have to be jealous to be beautiful."

Ben made a gagging noise. "Please, I think I have reached my limit of mush during this visit." He turned to me. "Do you have this problem with your parents?"

"Are you kidding? They are twice as bad and are usually in Mandalorian armor and slave costumes."

My aunt looked at me confused. "What?"

I waved off her comment. "Nothing, nothing." I turned to my uncle. "Please continue with your story."

My uncle straightened in his seat and cleared his throat. "As I was saying, a witch works best one-on-one."

"I bet," my aunt whispered under her breath.

Luke gave her a warning look but continued. "If there was a group of people with me, it would be impossible to trick all of us. At least that is what I learned from my research in the years since I went up against her. They work best at fooling one person at a time. They like to get their victim alone."

Ben nodded in understanding. "If the young woman Talon saw is her true form, that means security vids from the party might be able to pick up her real image and we could track her via the city's public surveillance system."

Mara nodded. "We have requested cooperation from the Kuat government to do an investigation. Since their law enforcement personnel never even heard of a mind-witch they gave us permission to conduct the investigation. They did request that we provide evidence for a warrant prior to an arrest. They don't want their citizens unduly harassed by Jedi."

Ben leaned back in his chair and frowned. "This case is going to be tough. Once we find her we need to go to the authorities and provide proof for an arrest. They may issue one on the Grand Master's word, but unless she has the dead bodies of her victims stacked in a backroom we might have difficulty proving she did anything wrong." He looked over to me. "Talon had his post-cognitive vision, but Jedi visions have never held up in court."

My aunt Mara pursed her lips in thought. "It's unlikely she bothered to sanitize her apartment of any damning DNA evidence, but I doubt she left any bodies to incriminate her of any wrong doing. Getting rid of that evidence was probably simple."

I cocked my head to the side in confusion. "How so? A petite woman getting a dead body out of her home can't be easy."

"Mind-witches have some telekinetic abilities, but that is not why I think we won't find any of her victims." Mara gave me a hard smile. "In your vision did you actually see the men dying in her home?"

I shook my head.

Mara blew out a frustrated breath. "That's what I thought. She could drain the men of their life essence until they were at the brink of dying. She then could walk them out of her apartment and abandon them at a supermarket. The manager would find a senile, elderly man, near death. Of course she would remove any identification and if the man didn't have a criminal record his fingerprints might not show up in the archives. If a match did occur the coroner would probably disregard the results as a near match because the prints belong to a much younger man. Her victims were probably cremated as an unknown indigent person."

Ben ran a hand over his face. "Great. So we probably don't have bodies. If we discover where she lives and the forensic team finds foreign DNA we then have to figure out who went missing and get samples of family member DNA and try to do a familial match."

Uncle Luke threw up his hands in a halting motion. "Okay, hold up for a moment. Let's not get frustrated. I'm sure most people looking for a missing family member have already provided genetic samples for Law Enforcement. What we really need is to find her and then we can worry about holding and convicting her of her crimes."

I closed my eyes in frustration. Now I remember why I hate doing Sentinel work with Ben. The job entails a lot of surveillance and boring undercover work. It looks like we are going to be looking through a million hours of security vids. We can only hope to find her in the security footage at the party and then run a face recognition profile on her. Boring!

"It may not be too tedious Talon," My uncle said. My eyes opened wide. Either he is a good guesser or I was projecting my thoughts.

"Why do you say that?"

Luke gave Ben and me a grim look. "Because I have a feeling she might be looking for you two as we speak. A Force-user is like a tantalizing drug to energy draining species like mind-witches, Anzats, Garhoons or Energy Vampires. To them a Jedi is a banquet. It probably would take a dozen non-Force users to equal the life energies of a Jedi." He pointed to both Ben and me. "And you two are no ordinary Jedi. Both are you are exceedingly powerful in the Force. I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to lure one or both of you into her trap."

I looked to Ben and then back to my uncle. "What if she comes at us looking like you, Aunt Mara or our wives? How would be know it's the witch?"

Uncle Luke leaned forward in his seat. "There is a way to tell who you are dealing with. When the witch is doing her projection you will feel a vibration in the Force. The same niggling feeling you get when somebody is trying to do a Jedi mind trick or use the Force to disguise his or her features. It is not a strong sensation, but it's enough to confirm a person's identity if you are unsure. Let me demonstrate."

He turned to Ben, his face tightening in concentration. After a few seconds my cousin's brows rose slightly. "I can sense what you mean." He turned to me. "Can you feel it Talon?"

I turned to my uncle and reached out with the Force. After a long moment I did sense a juddering in the Force. It wasn't a blatant peculiarity within the Force, but it would be enough to confirm somebody's identity. I smiled brightly. "I sense it also."

My uncle's face relaxed into a gratified smile. "I knew you too would catch on quickly." He turned to my aunt and reached out and taking her hand in his. "Ben, I think your mother and I will freshen up and I'll change into some nondescript clothing and we can then go to the local law enforcement office. The Chief of Public Security said he would pull the surveillance vids from the party where you were accosted. If we can find her on the vids we can then take her image to the Omni-Tech city surveillance company that monitors the public venues and see if the face recognition software can find us a match."

I tried to maintain a smile on my face as my aunt and uncle rose from their seats. They make it sound exciting, but I always find these missions so monotonous.

Hopefully this will turn out to be a thrilling action-packed adventure and I'll end up catching a witch.

.

.

**_Entry 10_ **

We postponed going to the local law enforcement building last night. After our talk with Ben's parents we discovered our wives couldn't stay until the end of our mission. They have cargo runs to do for their dad's trading company and had to leave Kuat. We decided to start the mission the next day, allowing us some time with our ladies before we had to say our farewells.

Zylie and I were in our cabin the next morning having spent the entire night together saying our goodbyes…and by that I mean we bonded hysterically. Ha! I packed a bag and was ready to leave the _Vazy Princess_ when my wife pulled me into her embrace and kissed me possessively. She then whispered into my ear. "We should have a safe word."

"What?" I laughed as I raised an eyebrow. "Do you have something special in mind before I leave?" Hey, we never were really into that stuff, but I was willing to give it a go.

She gave me a playful poke to my ribs. "Not that! I just don't want that witch showing up as me and tricking you. We should have a secret word so you'll know it's me."

I leaned in and nibbled on her earlobe. "That sounds good, but I think a mind-witch can read minds…hence the name MIND-witch."

"Oh, we should have one just in case."

I ran a hand across my jaw in thought. "Okay lets have a safe word, but you can't tell me the word or phrase so the witch can't pick it out of my thoughts."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How would that work?"

"I will know it is you if I ask you a question and you answer in the exact opposite of what you normally would say. So if I asked you if I like ID10T you would say 'Yes'. If I ask you if I love getting mauled by a large predatory animal you would say, 'Yes'".

"Oh I get it," Zylie said sarcastically. "So if you say 'is my wife ever wrong?' I would say, 'Yes'.

I thought about that for a second. "Yes…wait…no."

She laughed before reaching around my waist and slapping my butt teasingly. "Hopefully the Grand Master has taught you how not to be fooled." She leaned in and gave me a lingering kiss. "Be careful, Talon."

"I'm always careful." I grabbed my bag and left the cabin. I found Ben outside his cabin kissing Valla thoroughly. "Let's not keep your parents waiting."

Ben broke away from his wife and picked up his luggage and followed me down the boarding ramp. "Take care of each other," Valla called out.

I turned around, walking down the gangway backwards while grinning at my sister-in-law. "Hey, he's with me. Don't worry."

I don't know why that comment made her look more worried that she did previously.

We exited the ship and walked down to where the _Jade Shadow_ was docked.

Ben gave me a knowing look. "You hate sentinel work, don't you?"

"I prefer working as a Jedi asset to a Void Jumper unit."

It was true. Just like my dad, I favor working with soldiers. Plus, there is nothing like the rush of Void Jumping. I looked down at my jump boots and smiled. They were high top, stiff, black boots with the Void Jumper crest imprinted deep into the leather on the back of the heels. Only combat jumpers were authorized to wear them and, like my father, I wore them with pride.

As we approached the ship we saw Mara and Luke exiting the _Jade Shadow_ wearing inconspicuous tunic and trousers. They had their blasters in sight but their lightsabers were probably tucked away in an interior pocket. Ben and I also wore civilian clothing with our sabers concealed. Nothing will blow an undercover mission faster than a swinging lightsaber.

Luke smiled and gave us a wave. "An airtaxi should be here any minute. The Chief of Public Security will meet us at his office. He has pulled hours of security vids for us to go over."

Ack! How can he sound so chipper that the thought of doing such a mundane and monotonous task. My uncle must have some special Jedi skill he hasn't taught me because boredom doesn't seem to bother him like it does me.

We get to the Security Office and start watching the security footage from the party. We were fairly sure we got there between 2100 and 2200 hours. So we started observing footage from around 2030.

Okay this wasn't as boring as I thought it was going to be. The reactions from my aunt and uncle were priceless. Ha! My uncle blushed a deep red when he saw some of the skimpy outfits some of the women were wearing. Luke gave us a disapproving glance before shaking his head. Obviously he doesn't approve of his Jedi Knights attending such a risqué party. Ha! I am _so_ glad I didn't wear that 'Savage' outfit to the celebration.

After about twenty minutes of watching the video Ben calls out, "There we are." I look to where he is pointing and see us entering the establishment.

My aunt chuckled as Luke closed his eyes in disbelief. "What in the world are your wives wearing?"

I'm grinning as gazed at the holovid and pretended that I was formulating a serious answer. "It looks like we have two sexy Imperials trying to apprehend two extremely handsome Jedi."

Mara snorted. "I see your Imperial escorts are doing an informal pat down on you two. Did they find any illegal weapons hidden in your clothing?"

Ben laughed. "Illegal? No!"

"We _were_ packing, though," I said with a laugh. I grinned at the Grand Master. "I thought you had a soft spot for female Imperials."

Ben closed his eyes and groaned. "Don't encourage them, Talon."

Luke smirked before giving a furtive glance toward his wife. "I guess I can understand the attraction."

We continued to watch the security vid as Ben and Valla entered the dance floor. In the background Zylie and I could be seen sitting at our table. My aunt laughed out loud when I was accosted by the three females dressed as Jedi. "Damn Talon. With them jumping around all excited as they were, I'm surprised they didn't bounce right out of their tunics."

Luke slapped a hand to his forehead. "Talon, did you just direct those women toward my son?"

I grinned sheepishly. "Maybe."

Ben reached toward the monitors. "Can we fast forward it a few minutes. There is no need to watch this."

Mara slapped his hand away. "If you don't want us to see what comes next then I definitely don't want to miss it."

Uncle Luke shook his head aghast. "Why are they exposing their breasts?"

Ben blushed. "They wanted me to autograph their chests."

We continued to scrutinize the recordings and eventually the mind-witch showed up. "There she is!" I called out while pointing to a woman approaching Ben as he waited to order drinks at the bar.

Ben leaned forward and focused closely on the image. "So that is what she really looks like. Can we get a close up of her face?"

"We probably could if you weren't sucking her face," I joked. By this time the witch had pulled Ben onto the dance floor and were in an amorous embrace.

Luke ran a hand down his face as he made a groaning sound. "Your wife saw you doing this?"

Ben fell back into his chair looking disgusted with himself. "I know. It's bad, but I thought it was Valla. I think she understands that now."

Mara paused the playback and frowned at her son. "Even if you thought that was your wife, don't you think that is a little too much flagrant kissing and groping to do in a public setting?"

Ben's face burned in embarrassment. "I usually don't act that way in public."

Luke reached over and patted his wife's hand. "Mara, the mind-witch can make a man act out-of-character and do things he normally would never do. Believe me, I know."

Her eyes narrowed as she turned to her husband. "Oh really? What exactly did your mind-witch have you doing that was out of character for you?"

Now it was Luke's turn to blush. "I'll tell you in private."

"Yes, please do it in private. I don't want to know." Ben gestured toward the monitors. "Can we continue with this video so I can find a good shot of her face."

Mara turned the video back on and soon we caught a glimpse of my cousin sucker punching me. Everybody cringed as they watched me drop to the ground on the video.

"Ouch!" Mara muttered.

"It hurts me to watch this," Ben whispered.

I chuckled as I ran a hand over my chin. "It hurt me to experience it."

"Now that you are on the floor we do have a good shot of our witch." Uncle Luke froze the image and zoomed in to the woman's face. "We will record this image and then run a facial identification search in the criminal records and also see if we can find her in other public security vids."

Ben inserted a small memory card onto the side of the monitor and then punched the keyboard to download the image on the screen. "If we can find her in the public video feeds we might discover where she lives or hunts."

I felt relieved. Having her image made our job so much easier. "So, we just have to wait until the facial imaging program tracks her down and we go and arrest her."

Ben shook his head. "The program is not one-hundred percent accurate. It may indicate possible matches with dozens of women. It is our job to weed out the real witch from the lookalikes."

I let out a groan. This is going to be a very long and boring day.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Entry 11_ **

My head hurts. I have a headache not only from the sheer, mind-numbing boredom of watching surveillance videos, but also because a few times I nodded off and my forehead actually hit the table. To make matters worse, Ben would periodically smack the back of my head when he caught me watching the monitors with my eyes closed.

The computer face recognition program had spotted six women whose features were a close match to the mind-witch we were looking for. Our job was to eliminate various women based on visual clues like height, weight or hairstyle…things the program didn't account for. One woman we easily disregarded since she had an arm in a cast. Another lady wasn't tall enough to be our witch. Two of the women had the wrong hair color. This left two females who looked very similar to each other. We followed these women on the vids and watched where they went and what they did. In the end we couldn't eliminate either woman, so we decided to tail the ladies ourselves and try to ascertain which one was our witch. After determining their daily habits and patterns we were sure we could follow them and hopefully get close enough to verify what we were dealing with. Once we knew which woman was our target we would make plans to capture her.

My uncle stood up from his monitor and stretched his back while yawning. I guess he isn't quite immune to boredom. He turned to Ben and me. "We might as well start surveillance of these women tonight."

My Aunt Mara gave a nod of agreement. "Night missions were always my preference."

I wasn't sure if there was a double meaning of that statement, but I smirked anyway. Ben gave me a warning glare, which I didn't understand. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I thought you were going to say what you always say about night missions?"

My aunt looked to her son and then to me. "And what is that?"

Ben stood with a chuckle. "He calls them nocturnal missions."

My aunt and uncle both gave a groan of disapproval. "How does Zylie tolerate you?"

I shrugged with a grin. "I am on my best behavior around her. She has a vornskr."

"Remind me to bring Princess with us the next time we work together." Luke pulled on his coat and had us do a comlink check. "We just want to verify her identity. Once we know which woman is our witch we will contact the local authorities and plan for an arrest." He motioned toward Ben. "You and Talon check out the female that lives in the west quadrant of the city. Your mother and I will do surveillance on the woman who lives near the smashball stadium. Blasters on stun." He looked directly at me. "Don't do anything rash."

Mara rolled her eyes. "That's I lesson I tried to teach him all during his apprenticeship and failed miserably."

I pulled out my blaster and ensured it was on the proper setting. "I have become much more responsible since my youth," I assured my former master.

"Just be careful." Uncle Luke put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "She is probably looking for you two. Jedi are like spice to a mind-witch. If she comes after you she will probably try to separate you two and then work her illusions. Remember what I taught you."

Mara turned to Luke. "Maybe I should go with Ben and you with Talon."

He shook his head. "The witch has already seen them together and is probably actively searching. If she sees Ben or Talon with other Jedi she might get spooked and go to ground." He smiled at his son. "They'll be fine."

I don't know why, but it appears that when the Grand Master is giving a warning look it is usually directed towards me, but when he is giving words of encouragement or reassurance he looks towards Ben. Maybe he really does believe I'm reckless.

Ben gave me a light slap on the back. "Come on, let's get a taxi to the west quadrant."

We said our goodbyes to Mara and Luke and began our nocturnal mission. Ha!

**_Entry 12_ **

The west quadrant of the city is what some people call the _'Spice and Skin'_ area of town, meaning drugs and prostitutes are found there in abundance. In the surveillance vids the woman who might be our mind-witch lived in a rundown apartment complex. We never saw her enter the building with anyone, but there was a steady stream of visitors in and out of the complex. The back of the building wasn't covered by security video, so she could have lured victims in through the backdoor.

"This woman works as a part-time cashier at the local grocery store," I said to Ben as we walked down to dimly lit streets. "Would a witch need a job? Couldn't she con people into giving her money?"

Ben had his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets as he walked next to me. "She might want a steady income to pay for the basics. Also her job may give her the opportunity to meet hundreds of people a day allowing her to spot a Force strong target."

"Maybe she..." My sentence was interrupted as I nearly tripped over a derelict sleeping on the street in a torn and stained sleeping bag. As I skirted around him I noticed a spider-roach scuttling across his exposed face before disappearing in a dirty mop of grayish brown hair. That horrifying sight made me shudder. I was so focused on the arachnid that I almost bumped into a street light pole.

"Keep your eyes open Talon." Ben smirked at my near collision. "She should be getting off work any minute. We want to get into position so we can confirm her identity and we can't do that if you walk into a pole and get a concussion."

I nudge my cousin away from me with a shoulder-to-shoulder bump. "I wish I could drag you on Void Jumper missions so I can make fun of you."

He laughed. "I never understood jumping from a perfectly functional troopship."

"I have news for you. The Galactic Alliance doesn't own any perfectly functional troopships."

Ben stopped and made a quick pointing gesture. "There she is. It looks like she got off work a little early."

I looked up the walkway and saw a young brunette exit a building about a block up the road. From this distance I couldn't tell if she was the woman from the club. Back then she wore a slinky dress, high heel shoes and had long flowing tresses. This woman had her hair pulled back and was wearing a utilitarian jumpsuit with a red apron embroidered with the store logo. I couldn't see her face clearly because she was preoccupied with checking messages on her handheld smart-pad.

"Is that her?" Ben looked at me for confirmation.

I shook my head. "I don't know. This lady has her hair pulled back in a braid; she's not dressed in the same provocative manner. I think we will have to get right up to her and see if we can sense that fluctuation in the Force your dad told us about."

Ben nodded and started to move toward her. When we were about ten meters apart the doors to a movie theater we were approaching flew open and a steady stream of moviegoers began to stream out of the building. Ben and I stopped and waited for the crowd to disperse. I kept an eye on the woman who was standing on the other side of the crowd. She was watching the people as they exited the movie house when she suddenly started to act anxious. She looked around the crowd expectantly, searching for something. She never locked eyes on Ben and me but she quickly turned and started walking away.

I gave Ben a nudge. "She's leaving. I think she may have sensed us." We pushed our way through the crowd and followed the woman. When we got to the other side of the throng of people I couldn't see her. "Where did she go?"

Ben turned around in a circle, his face a mask of concentration. I realized he was trying to sense her through the Force. I also reached out and tried to locate her. It was then that I felt that fluttering of the Force coming from a slim man walking in the same direction that we saw the woman flee. I pointed toward him. "There! She changed form."

I started to give chase, but Ben grabbed my sleeve. "Don't scare her off. We just needed a confirmation. I think we got it. She noticed us and she's now projecting another image."

I shook out of Ben's grasp and continued to walk. "Ben, if she saw us she knows we are looking for her. She is going to disappear. We need to make this arrest now, while we have a chance."

Ben looked like he was going to argue, but then nodded in agreement. We quickened our pace while he grabbed his comlink and let his parents know what was going on. The man turned down an alley and started to run. Ben and I broke out into a jog to keep up with the witch. When we entered the alleyway the man was about forty meters away and it appeared that he was in close pursuit of a woman. As we ran after them I noticed the woman was wearing the same grocery store outfit of our suspected witch. I looked to Ben who was jogging by my side. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. I sense that the man is our witch. Perhaps the woman is an innocent that just happened to look like our witch."

The two people were now in dead sprints. At some point the male (or a female projecting the appearance of a male) noticed us following. He pulled out a blaster and shot a few rounds in our direction. Ben and I immediately pulled out our concealed lightsabers and deflected the blasterbolts. I know what it feels like to deflect stun bolts and that was what the man/witch had his blaster set on. One would think this is a good thing, but it is actually easier to deflect blaster bolts than stun bolts because of its wider dispersion pattern.

We successfully defended ourselves then started back after the two as the woman and man ducted down a side road and disappeared from our view. We deactivated our sabers as we rounded the corner and then stopped, unable to locate either individual.

"Where's they go?" I reached out with the Force and tried to sense the witch and found her trail. The fluctuation was much stronger now. "She's close." I ran down another dank side alley in the direction of the growing fluctuations. In the distance I could see the man again. I was surprised that the witch didn't change form after we lost sight of her. Perhaps she is not good at multitasking. Maybe running, shooting a blaster and changing form is at a much higher skill level than she possessed. I stopped, pulled my blaster from my holster took aim and fired. Up ahead the witch crumbled to the ground stunned. The woman that the witch was chasing never turned around but kept moving. As I moved toward the unconscious man I could feel an increase in the variation in the Force. He/she was definitely our witch.

"Talon stop!" Ben called out. "This doesn't feel right." I slowed my pace before turning to my cousin trailing behind.

"What doesn't feel right? Can you feel the change in the Force? That _is_ our witch."

He pointed to the man lying on the ground. "If that person is the woman we saw in the club and the lady in the grocery store was just an unfortunate lookalike…then why hasn't he changed form? I don't think a witch can hold an illusion while blacked out."

We both moved toward the unconscious man cautiously. "Do you think they were both mind-witches and the one from the club got away?"

"That could be." He swung around looking up and down the alley and to the roof. "Also, that fluctuation is still increasing in intensity."

"We are getting closer to him," I pointed out.

"The fluctuation feels like a ground quake to my senses. Something is very wrong."

I noticed movement behind Ben. I holstered my weapon and activated my lightsaber. "We have company to your rear."

"I noticed." He jerked his chin to the area behind me. "Behind you, also."

A small group of people approached us, three behind Ben and five behind me. All wore dark clothing with hoods pulled up over their heads concealing their facial features. Ben activated his saber and called out. "Back up. We are on Jedi business."

One of the larger individuals behind me pointed his blaster toward the man on the ground. "What business do the Jedi have with my brother?"

I groaned inwardly. If the man on the ground was a mind-witch, then this large fellow was also a witch, which explains why the fluctuation in the Force was increasing exponentially.

"He's a mind-witch." Ben explained.

The man shrugged. "So? What crime did he commit?"

I looked over to Ben, not knowing how we should answer that question. My cousin squared his shoulders and glared at the man defiantly. "He was chasing a woman to kill her."

The large man looked to his companions and then laughed. "Was he now? How do you know that? Were you using your Jedi mind powers to ascertain his motives?"

I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. These people were not at all concerned that Ben and I were Jedi and currently holding lethal lightsabers in our hands. They were standing there and engaging with us like it was a normal conversation among friends.

Ben took a step toward the group's spokesman. "Back away. We're bringing this man in to the police for questioning." He pointed his saber toward the unconscious witch. "He's only stunned. We don't intend to harm him."

The group stood their ground not showing any intention of leaving. The large man waved a blaster in Ben's direction. "We can't let you take him. I'm sorry. Why don't you and your shaved Wookiee take a walk."

I gritted my teeth at that comment. Why do people like calling tall, muscular humans shaved Wookiees? "That's not going to happen. I warn you, your blasters aren't going to be effective against trained Jedi."

The man laughed. "Oh yeah, that's right. You guys have the Force as your ally…except when you don't."

I was mulling over the meaning of that comment when I heard a swoop bike flying overhead. The pilot dove down and dropped a mesh bag into ringleader's arms. The leader's face was shrouded in the shadow of his hood, but I couldn't miss the wide grin that now crossed his face. He walked toward me and Ben, the bag in one hand and a blaster in the other. "Let's see how good you guys are with those sabers without the Force."

At that moment I felt a very familiar sensation. It was the Force dimming and then fading away. It was the same Force void I experienced hundreds of times in my youth. I knew, without a doubt, that the bag held a ysalamiri. I reached for my blaster, intent on killing the animal, but the man fired first, followed by the rest of his group. Ben and I blocked the first few bolts, but having so many people shooting at one time would have been difficult to defend in the first place, without the Force we wouldn't last for long. And I was right, after successfully deflecting a dozen stun bolts one finally found me. Ben was still up and fighting as I slowly lost consciousness.

.

.

**_Entry 13_ **

The blackness slowly lifted and I could see evidence of light through my closed eyelids. I tried to lift my head, but my body was paralyzed. I couldn't even manage to open my eyes. I have heard about body paralysis when a person is hit with multiple stunbolts. It takes time for your brain to start communicating with your body. At least I was conscious, albeit a bit groggy and with a blazing migraine. I tried to reach out to the Force but I couldn't touch its healing energy. The ysalamiri must be in the room. The Force was silent, but the muttering of voices around me became clearer and I started to follow their whispered conversations.

"What the Kriff are we going to do with them?" came a male voice from behind me.

A second male voice responded. "We should have left them there. Their Jedi friends will come for them."

From my front a third man spoke. He sounded younger and extremely panicked. "We should kill them. They know who we are. They know what we are. We can't have the Jedi knowing of our existence. You know what they'll do. You know what they'll all do."

"Calm down Jarod."

"How the kriff can I calm down! Grand Master Skywalker and his kriff'n wife…who is not only a Jedi Master but Former Imperial assassin have been seen in the area. The two deadliest Jedi in the galaxy are searching for these idiots!"

"You know why, don't you?" The question came from a female standing somewhere to my side. "The redhead is their oldest son. I recognized him. It's Ben Skywalker."

"Oh fraken kriff!" the younger sounding man moaned. "Kriffity, kriffity kriff! We are so kriffed!"

"Calm down Jarod," the man behind me repeated.

"I'm not sure who the big guy is." the female voice came closer and I felt a hand brush across my shoulder. I tried move away from her touch but only managed to jerk my head slightly. "Uhh ohhh, the big boy is coming to."

I could hear a movement behind me and the soft whine of a blaster charging. "We can't have that. Orders are to keep them out until the boss gets here."

There was a discharge of a blaster and then blackness.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Entry 14_ **

I don't know how long I was out. The Force still eluded me, but this time I sensed my abductors weren't in the room. I listened for a long time, trying to pick up movement, breathing or anything that would indicate I had company. I eventually did hear something. To my right there was the soft sound of breathing. I was fairly sure I was hearing Ben. I struggled to open my eyes. It took a few minutes, but eventually my eyelids fluttered open. I grunted as the pain intensified from the brightness of the overhead lights. I managed to turn my head and saw Ben tied to a chair, head slumped down, with a line of spittle making a path from his mouth and down to his thigh. We must have been here for a while because there was a palm sized puddle of saliva on the leg of his trousers.

"Ben." I whispered dryly, my voice cracking. I swallowed a few times trying to get moisture into my mouth before I tried again. "Ben."

When he didn't answer I turned my head slowly, examining my surroundings. We were imprisoned in what looked like a large storage room. There were no windows, just gray duracrete walls with a metal door as the only hope of escape. Ben and I were secured to sturdy wooden chairs using plastic tie down straps and heavy-duty adhesive tape. I could feel bindings around my ankles holding my legs to the chair supports. My wrists were bound in the same manner to the armrests. I turned back to Ben to make sure he was all right. I could see his chest rising and falling in a relaxed manner. I didn't notice any bruises or cuts on him. At least our kidnappers haven't tortured us…yet.

"Ben." He didn't wake, but remained silently drooling. I braced myself for the pain and used all of the energy I could gather to scoot the chair centimeter by centimeter closer to my cousin. "Ben." This time a moan escaped his lips. "Ben, wake up."

He grunted before his eyes fluttered open, then grimaced as he turned his head in my direction. "Talon?"

I smiled despite the hammering in my head. "Are you okay?"

Ben's head dropped down as he drew in a deep breath. "It hurts to breath." He turned back to me. "We got captured by the mind-witches…didn't we?"

I sighed shamefully. "Yeah. This is my fault."

"No, I agreed to follow the male witch. I'm senior Jedi. I should have known better."

"Did you hear what they said earlier? While we were in this room."

"No, what did they say?"

I frowned and let out a shuddered breath. "One of them wants us dead. They're scared because your parents are searching for us."

"They won't find us if we're blocked out by the ysalamiri." He spit and shook his head trying to dislodge the thin line of drool from his lips. "It's too bad you didn't develop your father's immunity to those Force void lizards."

"Yeah." I sat silently, pondering our situation. I brought my head up and twisted it to the side as far as I could, trying to see what was behind me. "If we can kill the ysalamiri, we might escape." I flung my body against the restraints in an effort to turn the chair. Pain burst through my head at the harsh movement and I cringed when the legs of the chair screeched against the tile floor. I managed to turn enough to see a cage in the corner of the room. Unfortunately, it appeared to be made out of heavy metal with air holes drilled around the side. If the ysalamiri was inside I couldn't kill it unless I could get my hands free and open the cage door. "Frack! He's in a heavy metal container."

I started to shift my chair side-to-side towards the cage when I heard voices in the distance. "Stang! Ben, pretend you are still unconscious or else they'll blast you again." I frantically tried to shift my chair back to its original position, but didn't quite succeed. I could only hope they wouldn't notice as I dropped my head, closed my eyes, and feigned unconsciousness.

The heavy metal door opened with a creak. Two sets of footsteps moved from the entrance to a position in front of me. I was a little surprised when I heard someone snickering.

"You know, even if you got back to where you started you left scuff marks all over the floor." The voice was of one of the calmer males that I heard earlier.

I was content to continue my charade. I didn't want to interact with my captors and face questioning.

"He's scared we will stun him again," came a woman's voice. I startled when I felt somebody flopping down in my lap. "Wakey, wakey." I reluctantly brought my head up to find a very young woman—probably a teenager—stretched out across my lap. She was wearing a black outfit and dark sunglasses to disguise her identity. My other captor was a dark haired man with tinted ski goggles over his eyes. I let out a sigh of relief. If they're hiding their identities that could mean they didn't intend to kill us.

The woman wrapped her arm around my neck and brought her face close to mine. "You are one large hunk of Jedi. I can see why Lita wanted to suck you dry."

The man groaned. "Damn it, Sissy, no names." He grimaced when he realized his mistake.

The girl glared at him. "I'll try to remember that Terk."

"Kriff. Why don't we give them our identification cards while we're at it." The man unholstered his blaster. "Stand back or you'll get hit…not that I mind stunning your sarcastic butt. It'd be real funny to see you flat on the deck and drooling like a moron."

She put up her hand in a halting gesture. " _Your_ boss is in the building. He'll want them awake."

He frowned before returning the blaster to his holster. "He's your boss also."

The girl laughed before she turned her attention back to me. "I'd like to get this one alone. Tie him down to a bed and have my way with him."

The man scoffed. "Yeah. You talk big, but I know you're a virgin."

She turned in my lap causing her buttock to pivot over my groin painfully. "That's not true…exactly."

I made a sound of disgust. "Can we not talk about your adolescent love life while you are crushing my bits and pieces?"

She grinned and made and extra effort to bounce on my lap before leaning in and licking the side of my face. I pulled my head back forcefully causing my vision to swim. The young lady laughed at my discomfort before she let out a squeal of pain. I large hand with meaty fingers and gold rings had grabbed her by the earlobe and roughly yanked her off my lap.

"Owww, that hurts!" She jerked her head free as she gave a pouting glare to her attacker.

The owner of the hand was a large, muscular man dressed in tan work trousers, tunic and leather jacket. A knit cold weather mask-allowing only his mouth and eyes to be seen-covered his face. "It's supposed to hurt!" he yelled at the woman. "Get out of my sight."

Her face grew hot with indignation and I could see her jaw working as she gritted her teeth. "Fine." She stomped out of the room and tried to slam the door behind her, but the heavy rusted door refused to be slammed. She left it partly open, mumbling and cursing under her breath as she walked down the hall.

The newcomer turned to the man in the snow goggles. "You too." The smaller man scurried out of the room leaving the door open. The masked man turned to face us. He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels while scrutinizing us.

"I must apologize for my daughter's behavior. She's seventeen and thinks she doesn't need to listen to her father." He looked over to Ben who continued to feign unconsciousness. "Stop pretending you're asleep Jedi Skywalker."

Ben let out a breath before raising his head slowly. The giant of a man went over to the door and reached for something out of sight. I was relieved when he pulled out a small, armless chair from the hallway. He returned to our location setting the chair down backwards. He swung his leg over the seat, straddling it, while resting his arms across the top back support. "I am in a bit of a quandary. My family and friends foolishly decided to capture you two. Their thought process was if we let you go you would hunt us down and murder every mind-witch you could locate. They want to kill you to keep our secret."

"We don't kill innocent people," Ben assured him.

The man gave a caustic laugh. "Mind-Witches have been hunted down and persecuted for thousands of years. We're nearly extinct!" He stood abruptly and paced the length of the room. I could see his lips pulled back exposing his white teeth while his eyes burned with hatred.

_This is not going well._

Ben starred back at the man defiantly. "We were trying to capture a mind-witch that attempted to trick and draw me into her clutches." Ben motioned his chin toward me. "Talon had visions of her luring men into her apartment and draining their life energies until dead. She was a murderer!"

The man stopped pacing and rolled his eyes. "Yes, and that is why we were trying to capture her, but dumb-kriff here," he gestured in my direction. "Shot my man before he could apprehend her."

"You were hunting her?" There was a tinge of disbelief in Ben's voice.

He sat down, resting his hands and chin on the backrest. "Yes, we were hunting her. Why do you think we had something that could shut down the Force? She uses the Force for defense and mind-witches can be deadly when cornered." He heaved a frustrated sigh. The fire had burned out of his eyes and now only a haunted gaze remained.

"Why were you hunting her?" I had to ask.

The man slapped his palm to his forehead and gave a snort. "Gods, you must not be the brains of this operation. I already told you. She was killing people and we wanted to stop her." He waved his hands at us in a frustrated gesture before he took a couple deep breaths and settled down. "I know it might be hard to understand, but we don't want predatory witches as much as you don't want serial killers."

"Don't you all kill?" I was a bit confused with the entire situation.

"Not anymore." He drew in a deep breath and blew it out. "A hundred years ago, after a thousand years of our people being slaughtered, we decided the only way we could survive was to assimilate with humans. That meant we had to drastically change the way we…fed." He scratched at his knit mask while mumbling about it being itchy. "As I was saying, we needed to change, become invisible, and we couldn't do that if we were killing people. So all the clan leaders decided no individual would drain a person dry. We will take small amounts of life energy from dozens of people a day. Not enough for most of them to even notice. All it would do is make them feel tired. The clans would stay nomadic so not to prey on the same people constantly. It works, but every once in a while we have a witch that wants to go back to the old ways. And when that happens we hunt them down."

I cleared my throat. "And kill them?"

The man rolled his eyes again before looking at Ben. "Does your friend think killing is always the answer?"

Ben gave me a sideways glance. "He's a Void Jumper. He works for the military probably more than the Jedi…so he might have a little different mindset." He paused for a second. "He did stun your comrade."

"You're lucky. I think my men would have left two dead Jedi in that alley otherwise." He looked down while scratching the top of his head through the cap. "What am I going to do with you two?"

"I vote that you let us go." That sentence came out more sarcastic than I intended.

The large man laughed. "You do, huh?" He looked back up, his blue eyes staring me down. "All of Kuat is looking for you. It would be smart to kill you both." He stood and folded his arms across his chest. "But according to my daughter, I'm not very smart." He moved to the door, pausing before exiting. "I need to talk to the other clan leaders. I would like to find a solution that doesn't involve pissing off the Grand Master of the Jedi Order." He slipped out the door leaving Ben and I bound and confused.

I looked over to Ben questioningly. "Do you think he'll let us go?"

He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "That would be his best choice. I don't think he wants my mother coming after him. My dad might bring him to justice, but Mom…" He trailed off not wanting to verbalize what I already knew-mothers are the deadliest creatures in the galaxy when their young are threatened or killed.

I struggled with my bindings. I wasn't going to wait for some witch to determine my fate. "Then we better escape for everybody's sake."


	7. Chapter 7

**_ENTRY 15_ **

Talking about escape is easy…actually doing so is difficult. I spent about twenty minutes gnawing at the heavy-duty tape securing my wrists to the chair. The end result was a saliva soaked tunic sleeve and strands of tape embedded between my teeth. Ben was faring a little better. He was able to get the end of the tape unfastened and pulled out about ten centimeters, but he was unable to loop it up and around the armrest. The loose tape hung down completely out of his reach. "Talon, maybe you can maneuver next to me and get the tape with your mouth or hand."

"I'll try." I scooted my chair over to Ben's until we are sitting side by side. I stretched out my fingers and miraculously managed to grab the tape. "Now what?"

Ben motioned his fingers in a circular motion. "Try to push it under the arm rest toward me and up and I'll see if I bend down and grab it with my teeth."

I tried to do as he asked, but couldn't stretch my fingers far enough to do anything helpful. "I can't do it in this position. With my hands secured to the armrest I can't loop it under."

Ben stared at the tape for a moment. "Maybe if you get in a position in front of me, so we are face-to-face, you can lean into me and grab the tape with your fingers and pull it up."

I understood what he was saying, but for that to happen I would have to pivot forward on my toes and practically fall into Ben's lap, but it might work. "I'll try." I inched my chair to a position in front of Ben so our knees were touching. "So…you want me to bend forward, balancing on my toes, rest my head against your chest and reach out for the tape with my fingers, pull it up and over. Is that right?"

"I think that'll work."

I blew out a breath before standing up on my toes and slowly bending forward while stretching my hand and fingers out toward the tape. The back legs of the chair came off the ground forcing me into an uncomfortable bent position. My toes started to ache and my calves cramped as I tried to maintain my balance while reaching for the elusive tape. I got close to touching it, really close, but then I lost my balance and fell forward, my head striking Ben's chest. I looked down to see how close my hand was to the tape, but I could no longer see it in my current position. "Can you see the tape?"

Ben looked around my head to the armrest. "You are close. More to the left." As I adjusted my fingers Ben clarified. "My left."

I reached out blindly, my face buried in the folds of Ben's tunic. Eventually I felt the tape and captured it precariously between my fingers. "Got it."

"Can you pull it up?"

"No, not without standing up or leaning back a bit. Can you try to stand and push forward and this way I will fall backwards. I'll keep my fingers on the tape and hopefully when I drop back to the sitting position it will unravel some more."

"Sure." Ben tried to lean forward but despite his best efforts he remained stubbornly stationary. "I can't lean forward with the weight of your body pressing to my front. Try to push your head against my chest and push off and fall back."

I rocked a bit, bouncing my head against his chest and trying to propel myself backwards, which, unfortunately, resulted in all four legs of the chair slipping out from under me. I ended up on my knees, my head resting on Ben's thighs. "Kriff!" I struggled to get out of that awkward spot but was stuck. "I swear if you tell Valla or Zylie that I ended up in this embarrassing position, I will kill you."

I could hear a hint of amusement in Ben's voice. "The witches are probably going to kill us, so I don't think you have to worry about that."

"If you truly thought that I doubt you would sound so unperturbed." I struggled to push myself away from my cousin and get out of this humiliating predicament, but I had little success. "I swear, if the witches do kill us, knowing you you'd find a way to embarrass me from beyond the grave. I could see you telling this story to the Force ghosts of old Jedi Masters."

Ben chuckled. "I can hear Yoda now. _'Horrible position to be found in that is. If not already dead, die laughing I would be. Hmmm…yeesssssss. Embarrassing it is."_

"Shut up and scooch backwards! I don't want anybody walking in and thinking we are into some strange man-love bondage."

Ben snickered before he juddered his body side to side, scooting the chair rearward until my head slipped off his thighs and down to the hard floor with a whack. That is the second time in a week that I got my forehead bashed in! Now all I need is a pissed off pregnant vornskr shoved into the room and I would have successfully recreated last week's painful debacle. With a groan I managed to roll to my side so my face wasn't painfully planted against the cold tile.

"Well, that didn't work." Ben remarked.

"You think?" I struggled at my bonds frantically at I gazed at the cold, dusty floor. "Gods I hope there aren't any spiders around here."

Ben guffawed. "We're probably going to get killed and you are worried about spiders."

I jerked on the restrains until I saw blood where the plastic bands dug into my wrists. I turned my head so I could meet Ben's gaze. "Must I remind you that a few months ago I was traumatized by a kriff'n Sithspawn Rhak-skuri putting nightmarish arachnid images into my head."

Ben grimaced. "Sorry. I forgot what that dream singer did to you."

"Yeah, well, that's something I'll never forget."

And I wasn't exaggerating. I still have nightmares about the Rhak-Skuri that Ben and I encountered. It is a Sithspawn scorpion-like creature that exudes hallucinogenic pheromones that can drive a man mad. Luckily for us my son Marcus was trained by the H'drachi seers to read the time streams. He glimpsed our deadly predicament and sent my father to rescue us. I wonder if the seers foresaw out current dilemma or was the ysalamiri blocking them from observing our fate?

I heard a scuffing noise and looked over to see Ben shifting his body weight and scooting his chair toward a far corner.

"The ysalamiri is in the opposite corner," I reminded him.

"I know I'm trying to see if I can get out of its Force void bubble."

"Good idea. You do that and I'll see if I can get to it and take it out." I tried to move toward the ysalamiri, but now that the chair was on its side it was slow going. Ben had made it to the far corner by the time I moved only ten or fifteen centimeters. "Are you out of the bubble, Ben?"

"No. I still can't touch the Force. Unless we can break our bonds we have to hope the witches decided to let us go. At least they've continued to hide their identity. That is a good sign. It means they haven't decided to kill us."

"Yep, that's great." I said bitingly. I tried to move using my foot and hand pressed against the floor, but I couldn't get any leverage. I was almost relieved when I heard the door to the holding area open. I was hoping it was the leader of the witches, but instead it was his annoying bespectacled daughter and her male friend with the goggles.

The young female laughed when she saw Ben sitting in the corner of the room like a censured schoolboy and me lying on my side still firmly secured to an incredibly sturdy wooden chair.

"Oh, are you two no longer friends?" Her voice took on that maddening mocking tone that teenage girls master soon after their thirteenth birthday. She walked over to me and laid down on her side facing me, mirroring my position on the floor. She made a pouty face. "Did the big Jedi fall over and go boom."

Her male friend laughed before he came over and struggled to prop me upright. After a lot of grunting and groaning he succeeded in righting my chair. "Damn he's heavy."

"He's a big boy." She gave her friend a teasing smile before she once again sat on my lap. "Did you miss me stud?" I turned my head away, not wanting to encourage her. It was then I noticed her male friend didn't look too happy about her fawning all over me.

"You are going to get in trouble. Your dad told you to leave him alone."

She flipped her shoulder length blond hair away from her face as she smirked. "Jealous?"

A deep frown creased the young man's face. "No."

The teenager caressed my face with her fingers. "Liar."

Both witches jumped when a voice boomed out at the doorway. "Sissy! I told you to leave him alone!" The young girl's father stormed into the room, fists clenched, and shoulders hunched forward. He was still wearing full face knit mask but I could see the anger in his eyes and the snarl that twisted his lips.

She quickly jumped off my lap and stood next to me fidgeting. "I wasn't hurting him." She grinned as she looked over to me. "He's just so cute."

Her father folded his arms across his chest as he glared at his daughter. "I'm glad he meets your approval because the elders and I have come to a decision. The Jedi can live if they become part of our clan. You are officially betrothed to his one." He threw his thumb in my direction.

"What?" everybody but the clan leader cried out in unison.

"Daddy, I was just joking. I don't want to marry him." She glanced back to her goggle wearing friend who appeared heartbroken. I finally figured out this young girl's motive for her seductive manner. She was trying to make her male friend jealous…and it looks like she succeeded.

"What's wrong with the Jedi?" her father asked as he slapped a hand on my shoulder. "He is a huge, muscular man with strong facial features. He'll make fine breeding material."

The young lady's jaw went slack with shock. "Fine breeding material? Only if I wanted to give birth to a ten kilo baby!" She made a sound of disgust. "I hope you're joking." She motioned to the young man. "Come on Terk!"

The two moved to the exit. I noticed Terk gave the leader a sad backwards glance before he exited the room with the young lady. Her father closed the door behind them before turning back to Ben and me.

"Listen," I sputtered. "I am all for not getting killed, but I have to tell you, Ben and I are already married."

The large man cocked his head to the side questioningly. "You two are…mates?"

"What? What would give you that idea?" Ben choked out in surprise as he gazed toward the ceiling searchingly. "I don't know if you have security holovids in this room, but what happened earlier was an accident."

The man looked back and forth toward Ben and me. "What? We don't have security cameras in here. It's a supply room. What are you talking about?"

Ben blew out a relieved breath. "Nothing. When he said we are married he meant to two different women…sisters actually. We're married to women. We're already taken."

I saw a hint of a smile on the witch leader's lips. "That's okay, were polygamists."

"Yeah, but my wife isn't." I said emphatically. "I'm fairly sure if I bring a teenage witch home as my second wife my life span will be drastically reduced to a few minutes after the announcement. You might as well kill me now."

I could see his mouth draw to a thin line and his eyes harden. "As you wish." He then reached up and pulled off his mask revealing his face. I was expecting a brutish looking fellow to match his rough manner and booming voice, but I was surprised to find a clean-shaven man with pleasant unassuming looks, sandy brown hair and bright blue eyes. The only evidence that he was possibly dangerous was a slight scar running down his left cheek until it tapered off at his strong square jaw.

I steadied my nerves for what was coming next. Ben had said we were probably safe as long as they hid their identities…and now he was unmasked. He pulled a vibroblade out from a side sheath and activated it. "You don't want to marry my daughter, huh? Even if it means death?"

I blew out a nervous breath. "I won't betray my vows. Even if that means death."

He brought the vibroblade up and smiled. "I don't blame you. My daughter is truly a witch in every shape and form. I feel sorry for the man she marries." He carefully cut the bindings holding my right arm. I looked at my free hand in shock and then up to him. He smiled at my confusion. "Don't worry, I'm not going to make you marry her...and we're not polygamists. I just wanted to put a little scare into my daughter. That poor boy she's with has had a crush on her since they were children…and she knows it. I can't stand how she teases him. I thought it would be nice to give her a taste of her own medicine." He stood back before cutting the other bindings. "I'm going to release you two and I want to talk like men. Do I have your word that you won't take this opportunity to attack me?"

I nodded. "I swear."

He looked over to Ben. "I promise also."

The leader grinned. "Good. You are obviously men who take their vows seriously." He cut my other hand loose. I rubbed my raw and chaffed wrists as he sliced away my leg bindings. "Besides, I have my men outside in case there's trouble." He stood and walked over to Ben and freed him from his bindings. "But I don't think I will have trouble with you two once we get a chance to talk." He offered Ben his hand. "I'm Jonnar. I'm the leader of…I guess you can call us the enforcers. My group ensures all witches obey the covenant."

Ben stood and shook his outstretched hand. "Ben Skywalker and my friend is Talon Tantiss."

Jonnar walked over and shook my hand before frowning at the small cuts and scraps on my wrist. "I'll get a medkit in here for you." He looked at my forehead where I'm sure a nasty looking lump was forming from my impromptu head dive into the floor. "Did my people do that to you?"

"No, I was trying to escape and toppled over in my chair." I looked over to the ysalamiri cage. "Don't worry about the medkit. I'll be able to start healing myself once I am away from the cage."

Jonnar nodded before opening the door of our makeshift prison. "Let's go to my office and talk."

Ben and I stepped into a corridor lined with heavily armed masked men. To my relief none of the weapons were pointed in my direction. As we moved further away from the ysalamiri I could feel the Force returning. It was as refreshing as a cool drink on a hot day. As we followed Jonnar we passed his daughter standing next to her male admirer. She looked at me warily, her face pale as she nervously bit her lower lip. She obviously believed her father's threat. I couldn't help myself-I looked her up and down before I smirked and gave her a playful wink. An expression of pure mortification crossed her face before she buried her head into her friend's shoulder. I wonder if her father will ever tell her that I opted for death over marriage? That should bring her teenage smugness down a notch.

Jonnar opened a door at the end of the hall and ushered us inside. He sat down at the head of a conference table and motioned for us to sit. Leaning back in his chair he stared at Ben for a long moment. "You father encountered a mind-witch on the planet Seidhkona, is that correct?"

Ben gave a nod of the head.

"He later killed her on the planet Tarnoonga."

Ben's lips drew to a tight line. "Yes."

"She was another one of our rogue witches. Another clan hunted her down and exiled her to Seidhkona. It was an uninhabited planet. My people thought she couldn't hurt anybody there. We didn't count on an Imperial exploratory team finding her…and later your father." He shifted in his seat and tapped his fingers on the table. "Although she had killed people we dislike meting out the death penalty when a witch feeds in the way nature intended. We are asking our kind to change our behavior in a substantial way and some witches cannot adapt. Killing her would be like killing you for breathing air. We exile our rogue witches to uninhabited but livable planets."

"I'm surprised that there are so many of you. We thought S'ybll—the witch my father encountered—was the last of her kind."

Jonnar's eyes closed briefly. "That's what we want people to believe. I don't know how many individuals you told about our existence, but I would like to reinforce the belief of our extinction." He looked to Ben and then me. "I would like your help in doing so."

Ben gazed at the man. "Do we have a choice?"

Jonnar laughed. "Matter of fact, you do." He gestured to the exit. '"You are free to walk out that door."

My eyes narrowed, suspicious of this easy out. "What's the catch?"

The witch leader shrugged. "No catch. The clan leaders have determined the damage is done. We assume you weren't dumb enough to go after a mind-witch without telling your superiors. Killing you will do nothing but make matters worse for my people. If I can't rectify this situation…then we are to scatter and hide." He ran a hand down his face and sighed. "We'll live like hunted neks once again."

I know his people abducted me, but I am starting to like this man. I am not fond of his daughter, but I remember how annoying Zylie was when she was a young teen. I guess annoying and teenage girls go hand-in-hand. I looked to Ben. "What do you think?"

He let out a slow and controlled breath. "I think we should hear him out."

.

.

**_Entry 16_ **

Jonnar cleared his throat to speak but was interrupted by Ben.

"Before you start, I have to warn you. Once we moved away from the ysalamiri my parents might have sensed my presence. They could be on their way here. I really don't want any unneeded…complications. Will you allow me to contact them?"

The witch leader blew out a long, deep breath before he reached into his pocket, pulled out a comlink and tossed it to Ben. "I hope this isn't a trap. You said earlier that you don't kill innocent people. I know my people committed a crime by abducting you and you could demand justice for that wrong…but please keep in mind that if the existence of our species becomes known to the general public a galaxy-wide witch hunt may ensue. It could end up in genocide. Our kind has never been trusted and therefore, to most people, the only good witch is one with a blasterbolt in his head. I trust you, Jedi. I hope my faith in the Jedi Order hasn't condemned my species to extinction."

"If what you say is true, you have nothing to fear from the Jedi." Ben keyed on the comlink and punched in the proper code for his father and pushed the send button. The call was answered almost immediately.

_'Ben!'_ came the panicked voice of Luke Skywalker.

"Hey dad, I just…"

_'Thank the Force you're alive. When you disappeared in the Force your mom and I thought the worse.'_

Luke's comlink must have been abruptly grabbed out of his hand because the voice of Mara Jade Skywalker replaced his. _'Ben! What happened? Are you alright?'_

"I'm fine Mom, don't worry."

I leaned over to the comlink and said sardonically, "I'm okay also Aunt Mara…you know…just in case you were interested."

_'Thank the Force._ ' I don't think my aunt picked up on my sarcasm. All I heard in her voice was relief _. 'Where are you? Did you capture the witch?'_

Ben chuckled. "Not exactly. We sort of got captured."

_'How did a witch capture two Jedi?'_

Ben looked at me and smirked. "Well, Talon was my backup. That put me at a disadvantage."

I punched him in the shoulder.

Luke's voice came back on the comlink. _'Where are you? We'll come get you.'_

"Dad, give us about an hour. We're safe. I didn't want you tracking us down and coming in with lightsabers blazing. Talon and I are doing negotiations with a group of people pertaining to the mind-witch."

_'What exactly is your status?'_

"Our status is optimal." That was a term used to reassure the Jedi that we were not under duress. If Ben answered with anything else it would be an indicator that we couldn't talk freely.

There was a long pause before Luke spoke again. _'An hour?'_

Ben looked to Jonnar who nodded. "An hour should be fine. We'll call you then." He turned off the comlink and handed it back to Jonnar. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." He dropped the comlink in his pocket before clasping his hands together on the table in front of him. "We can discuss how we are going to handle the knowledge of our existence a little later. My foremost concern is finding my rogue witch. I think you two can help me find her."

I smirked knowing what was coming next. "You want to use us as bait?"

Jonnar leaned back in his seat and spread his hands out in a gesture acknowledging my statement. "Witches are highly attracted to strong Force users. I assume she accosted you earlier and that was the reason you were following her."

Ben nodded. "She tried to make me think she was my wife and lure me away from the dance club I was in. We tried to catch her but she got way."

"How did you eventually find her?" Jonnar asked.

Ben shifted in his seat looking uncomfortable. "You are not going to like this, but we contacted the local authorities and were provided security recordings from the club and the public areas."

Jonnar groaned as he dropped his head in his hand. "The police know about us."

"I don't think you need to worry. They never heard of a mind-witch and thought we were simply looking for some dangerous Force user. I doubt they will even ask us for an update on our investigation."

Jonnar nodded. "That's good." He looked up at us excitedly. "Do you know where she lives?"

Ben nodded. "We know what building and where she works, but I doubt she will return to those locations now that she knows she's hunted by Jedi and an enforcer group of witches."

"We can request updated security vids," I said. "We run them through face recognition software. Maybe we can determine where she went to ground. It should be simple enough to find and capture her."

Jonnar shook his head. "Capturing her will be anything but simple. She had to know her disobedience would be discovered and we would come for her. I suspect she has been feeding, gorging herself on the life-forces of others, to get stronger. A mind-witch can do more than illusions. We have strong psychokinetic abilities. She will try to feed again so she can fend us off. Since we don't feed normally, she knows we live in a weakened condition." He looked over to Ben. "She will want to gain power as quickly as possible. She will want to feed off of a Jedi."

"I guess we need to go back to reviewing public surveillance video," Ben said while standing. "Unless you want to talk about something else."

The man shook his head. "I'll have one of my men retrieve your weapons and I will give you a ride to wherever you were staying."

He stood and walked to the door, opening it and ushering us into the corridor. Outside was his daughter holding onto Terk's arm possessively. Both had removed their disguises and I couldn't help but notice a huge grin on the young man's face. When the leader's daughter saw her father she rushed up to him pulling Terk with her. "Daddy, I can't marry your Jedi. Terk and I are dating and I want to be with him."

I didn't think Terk's grin could get wider but he somehow managed. It looks like the boy got all of his holiday wishes answered today. Through the Force I could feel his underlying joy over the situation.

Jonnar scowled at the couple as he moved his arms out to his side, his fists balancing on his hips. "Oh, you are, huh? When did this happen?"

Before his daughter could answer Terk jumped into the conversation. "Sir, I have been in love with your daughter for a very long time. I beg you not to marry her off to a…" He gave me a scornful look. "…stranger and a man who is not of our kind. You and I both know Human/Witch hybrids are often sterile. I would assume you would want grandchildren and a continuation of your bloodline."

The elder man scoffed. "You make a lot of assumptions." He turned to his daughter. "Do you feel the same way about Terk?"

The girl looked at the boy and smiled softly. "Yes father. Please allow us to court one another and forget this forced betrothal."

Jonnar made a great production at contemplating her daughter's suggestion. He rubbed his hand over his jaw before making his decision. "I will allow it, _IF_ you truly care for him." He walked over and put a hand on Terk's shoulder while gazing at his daughter. "Don't put his heart at risk. I discovered the Jedi are both married, Therefore your betrothal is off. Do not enter into a relationship with Terk unless you truly mean it."

I almost laughed when I saw the crestfallen look on Terk's face. I am fairly certain he was convinced his chance at romance with Sissy was only because she wanted to get out of an engagement. I was relieved when she turned to Terk and said, "I'm sure, Dad."

Jonnar waved the young couple off. "Fine." Before they could leave the father grabbed the boy by the shoulder and gave him an evil glare. "She's only seventeen. Go slow and keep your pants on."

"Daddy!" the girl shouted in disgust before she grabbed Terk by the arm and pulled him down the hall and away from her father.

He turned to us and smiled broadly. "I like that boy. She better treat him right." He turned and spotted one of his men down the hall. "Kaken! Retrieve the Jedi's lightsabers and blasters."

He motioned us to follow him down the hall. Before we reached the exit his man Kaken ran up to us and held out our weapons. Ben and I holstered our blasters and and clipped our lightsabers to our belts.

Jonnar pushed open a pair of large double doors leading out to the street. We were following behind him when he suddenly stopped causing me to actually bump into his broad back. "It's a good thing I let you call your parents, Jedi Skywalker."

Ben and I looked around Jonnar to see Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker on the sidewalk leaning against a rented speeder. Luke made a production of looking at his wrist chrono. "You had forty minutes before we came in."

Mara ran up to Ben and gave him a warm hug. "We were worried sick." She looked up to Jonnar, her eyes narrowing. "Are you the man who kidnapped our Jedi?"

"Ahhh…"Jonnar cleared his throat, but didn't continue what he was going to say. Instead he stood very still. He didn't run or reach for his weapon, but I could tell he wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "You are safe. I promise you." I smiled at my Aunt. "His people captured us, but we were treated well."

She stepped away from Ben and gazed at me intently. "Then why does your forehead have a huge upraise welt and is turning black-and-blue?"

I made a face, not wanting to tell her this story. "I sort of did that to myself. I had a little accident."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Ben turned and motioned toward Jonnar. "This is Jonnar. He was hunting the same witch as we were. Our capture was a misunderstanding that was quickly resolved. He wants us to work together to capture the witch that is killing people."

I notice my uncle's brow rose incredulously.

Ben must have also noticed his father's disbelief. "It's true Dad. Can we go somewhere to talk?"

Jonnar threw a thumb in the direction of the building we just left. "You can come to my office if you like."

The Grand Master shook his head. "Why don't we go to our ship?" His brow furrowed as he gazed at the building. "I sense more than one witch inside."

"We have a group of eighteen. Probably ten are inside now."

"Eighteen witches!" Mara gasped. "So many?"

Jonnar laughed. "We are more numerous that that." He gestured towards Ben. "Your son says you don't slay innocent people…and my people are innocent of murder. I want to avoid the genocide of my people. I am hoping we can work with the Jedi in capturing rogue witches, but also figure out a way to ensure the safety of my people."

My uncle stared at Jonnar for a long moment. I believe he was trying to judge the veracity of his words. He must have passed muster because my uncle nodded and gestured to the speeder. "Get in. I look forward to hearing this story."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Entry 17_ **

My aunt and uncle did a soft interrogation on Jonnar while in the speeder. The man was open to discussing just about anything except the number of witches in the galaxy and their locations. That is understandable. When a race is nearly wiped out one cannot afford to risk the lives of the surviving members. I knew Jonnar could trust the Skywalkers, but with my Uncle Luke being the last person known to kill a witch, I don't fault the man for being distrustful.

I am fairly sure my uncle and aunt were not going to take Jonnar's story at face value either, but the fact that he could have killed me and Ben and did everything possible to avoid that possibility made me believe he was exactly who he says he is.

We arrived to the docking bay and parked the speeder next to the _Jade Shadow_. As the ship's ramp lowered I could feel Jonnar's anxiety increase. He kept looking around nervously, searching for something.

The Grand Master smiled. "Your friends are here. Hanging out in the fringes." He started to climb up the boarding ramp and waved for us to follow. "You must be a well-respected leader. Your people are very concerned for your safety."

Jonnar gave a curt bob of the head. "I sensed them out there. I didn't order them to follow me."

Luke led us to the galley where Ben and I slid into a booth seat with Jonnar sitting across from us. My uncle sat at the end of the table. "Feel free to call them or invite one or two in if that makes you feel more comfortable."

"I'll tell them to stand fast and don't do anything reckless." He pulled a comlink out of his pocket and activated it. "Rokey?"

After a couple seconds we heard a voice over the speaker. "Here boss."

"I know you're out there. I'm safe. Keep a leash on the others. I don't want anybody doing something stupid…again"

"Can we do periodic comlink checks on you, boss?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure you will sense if I am under duress way before I miss a comcheck."

"Affirmative. Rokey out."

The witch put his comlink back into his pocket and then folded his hands on the table. "So, let's discuss business. I would like to keep the existence of my people as secret as possible. Do you have to make an official report to the Galactic Alliance? I don't want Chief-of-State Mokk Streke to go on a genocidal campaign to wipe my people out. I don't trust the man."

My Aunt Mara gave a snort as she sat down next to my uncle at the table. "If Streke is going to go on a warpath the Jedi will probably be his first target. He probably would trust a mind-witch over a Jedi any day."

My aunt is right. The chief-of-state has repeatedly professed anti-Jedi rhetoric. He even has my father on his watch list. For some reason the Chief-of-State thinks my father is secretly working with the Jedi Order and the Indupar monarchy in an effort to overthrow the Galactic Alliance. Which is nonsense…I think. My dad is definitely not working for the Jedi, but I am not quite sure the reasons behind the impressive build up of military forces on Indupar. I hope my son, King Marcus, is the driving force and not the H'drachi seers. I'd hate to think the seers have foreseen a war.

Jonnar and my Aunt continued to talk through my musings as I became acutely aware that I haven't eaten or used the 'fresher since I was stunned in the alley. I stood and excused myself.

After relieving my bladder I went to the galley to find something to eat. There I bumped into my Aunt getting drinks for the group.

"Aunt Mara. You said earlier you thought we were dead when we blinked out in the Force. Did you notify my family? If so, do they know I'm alright?"

She turned and gazed at me intently, one eyebrow raised slightly. "We contacted your father and told him our concerns. We thought there was a possibility that something was blocking the Force such as a ysalamiri. We asked him to come to Kuat because of his immunity to the animal's effects but he demurred."

I frowned at that statement. "My father demurred?"

My aunt obviously misunderstood my confusion. "It means balked or objected."

"I know what demurred means. I just don't understand why my father wouldn't offer to help you."

She shrugged. "I don't understand why your father does what he does anymore. All I know is I told him you were missing and possibly dead and he wasn't concerned. He said you and Ben would turn up eventually. Why would you father do that?"

I cleared my throat and glanced away. I was fairly certain my son was monitoring the time stream and let him know Ben and I were in no danger. Although my aunt and uncle are aware of the existence of the H'drachi seers they are unaware at their accuracy or the fact that I have a son who is a seer in training. I couldn't tell Aunt Mara that, so I simply lied. "I guess my father is confident in my abilities."

She scoffed as she placed the drinks on a tray to carry out to the eating area. "Is that the story you're going with?" She picked the tray laden with fizz drinks before shaking her head and giving me a disappointed look. "One day I'm going to figure out the secret."

My jaw dropped in shock. "What secret?"

"I don't know. That's why I said one day I will figure it out. I do know you and your father are hiding something….something big. And what really bothers me and your uncle is you don't trust us with the knowledge."

I looked around to make sure Jonnar couldn't hear our conversation. "Aunt Mara my family doesn't have any secrets involving the Jedi or the Galactic Alliance except for the cover up involving Jacen and his brush with the darkside. There _are_ things I haven't told you but they are family issues and confidences. I think even Jedi deserve some family privacy."

Her green eyes bore into mine, but I refused to flinch. Finally she gave me a nod. "Fair enough." She left, leaving me in the galley to forage for food. I found some cold cuts and bread and made myself a sandwich before snatching a cold fizz drink out of the cooling unit. When I returned to the galley I found the Skywalker family laughing and joking with Jonnar like he was an old friend. For a moment I wondered if the mind-witch was projecting some soothing illusion to put my family at ease, but quickly dismissed the possibility. The Grand Master was on high alert and would pick up any type of mind tricks.

I slid into my seat just as the four burst out in laughter. "What's so funny?"

My uncle grinned at me. "Jonnar told us the story about your fake betrothal to his daughter and how you said you would rather face death because Zylie would do worse to you if you showed up with a second wife."

I blushed as I took a sip of my fizz drink. "Zylie would send her Vornskr to eat me."

My aunt chuckled before she turned her attention back to Jonnar. "You said your wayward witch is named Lita? How long have you been searching for her?"

The large man counted on his fingers. "Almost two weeks. We don't have access to public security holos to narrow our search. We mostly roam around the city and try to sense her presence. When we do we call in the swoop bike with the ysalamiri and try to get her within its Force void. That makes it easier to subdue her without violence. She knows banishment to an uninhabited planet will be her punishment and she will fight to the death to prevent that." He leaned back in his chair and gave us a sad smile. "We are a very social species. To be left in isolation is often a fate worse than death."

My Aunt Mara found humor in his words. "You're a social species because you need people to feed. Wont she slowly starve on an isolated planet?"

He shook his head. "She is capable of sustaining her body with food like you do…it's just…the craving for the taste of a life force is always there. Even now, I'm having problems being around you. I'm like an alcoholic at a wine festival." He glanced around the table. "Everything looks so tasty."

I gave a shudder at the sound of his voice. "Jonnar, do you realize how creepy that sounds."

He chuckled with a blush. "Sorry. I've never been around so many Jedi. It's almost like I can taste your life essence in the air." He shook his head. "I shouldn't stay too long. The craving becomes almost like a physical pain. I can understand why Lita pursued you."

Uncle Luke gave a sympathetic nod of his head. "Understandable. How do you want to proceed?"

The mind-witch ran his thick fingers through his hair as he thought about the question. "Why don't you go back to looking at security vids and let us know if you located her. We'll take over from there. Meanwhile I'll leave a few people to stake out your ship. She might try to lure you away once more. Four strong Jedi in one area has to be alluring."

Ben frowned. "Do you trust your people not to decide to break into our ship for a midnight snack?"

He spread his hands in an _'I don't know'_ gesture. "My people are trained, but we don't know what causes witches to go rogue. I assume it is just like any other addiction. They cross the line and draw too much life force at any one time and then they get addicted to the high. Mind-witches are just as prone to addiction as any human would be around alcohol or spice. I would hope their training would keep them from straying…but you never know." He looked at the four of us. "Can any one of you tell me for sure you would never fall to the darkside?" He looked my uncle straight in the eye. "Are you one-hundred percent confident that your Jedi would never stray?"

The Grand Master nodded slowly. "That is a good point. Hopefully we won't have a problem. We will go to the Public Security office tomorrow and try to find her using the facial recognition software. Can we contact you on the comlink number Ben used earlier?"

"Yes, he used my comlink."

Luke and Mara stood and reached over the table to shake Jonnar's hand. "I'm glad we had a chance to meet and talk." Uncle Luke looked toward Ben and then me. "Thank you for keeping a cool head and not harming Ben and Talon. I realize the discovery of your people's existence is troubling…especially knowing my history with mind-witches. I would never condone the genocide of a people and I fully support your efforts to capture homicidal witches. With your skill at illusions, perhaps we can work together in the future on different types of missions. You have a skill that would come in handy when it comes to Jedi Sentinel missions…which is basically law enforcement and undercover work." He pointed to Ben. "That is my son's specially."

Jonnar looked to me. "And what is your specialty? Your friend said you were a Void Jumper."

"I'm a Jedi Guardian, like my father was before me. We are the warrior class. I mainly do combat missions."

He looked me up and down. "That figures. You got the build and the intelligence of a grunt."

"Thanks," I said with a smile, but then wondered if that was a backhanded compliment. When I saw my aunt smirk I was positive Jonnar wasn't praising my intellect.

He smiled at my aunt and uncle. "I will wait for your call."

He exited the ship and disappeared around a corner where I suspect one of his people was waiting with a swoop bike or speeder.

Uncle Luke closed the ship and locked it up tight. "We might as well get some rest. You have a long day of watching security vids tomorrow."

I inwardly groaned at the prospect. "I would rather wander around town and hope to attract Lita."

"Sure," Ben said sarcastically. "We can put you in an undershirt that says _'One-hundred percent pure Jedi'_ on one side and _'Taste the difference'_ on the other."

"How about a shirt that just says ' _Bite me'_ , this way I can wear it around you when you get obnoxious."

"Children, please stop fighting," My aunt said with a roll of her eyes. "I don't know how your wives tolerate you two."

I gave a big shavit-eating grin. When I opened my mouth to talk my aunt's hand popped up in a halting motion. "I don't want to hear it."

My face dropped. "But it's a great come back."

She laughed. "I bet it is. I also know it's probably disgusting." She walked over to my uncle and wrapped an arm around his waist. "I think we all need to get some rest before tomorrow." My uncle grinned as they walked down into the corridor and disappeared into their cabin.

I turned to Ben. "They're not going to sleep, are they?"

He rolled his eyes. "Probably not for a while."

I gave a shiver. Those two were in their sixties and still doing mattress gymnastics. Yuck.

This is going to be a long night.

.

.

**_Entry 18_ **

I woke up early the next morning tired and blurry eyed having not slept well the night before. I had been up for the last hour staring at the ceiling and trying to will myself to sleep, but to no avail. I reluctantly got out of the bunk, threw on my clothes and weapons and went out to the ship galley to get some caf. There I found Ben sitting at the dining table sipping what looked like hot chocolate.

I dropped down in the seat across from him. "Ben, please tell me that your parents like playing late night handball against their cabin wall."

"You mean the wall that their bed headboard it butted up against?" He took another sip of his drink and then smirked. "I guess it depends on your definition of hand ball."

I groaned as I dropped my head down to the tabletop. "How did you get any sleep as a child?"

Ben chuckled. "I didn't. Why do you think I have two younger brothers and a sister?"

"I'm surprised you don't have twenty siblings." I looked at what he was drinking. "I didn't think you had the same beverage tastes as your father?"

He put down the cup and shook his head. "They're out of caf."

"What! How am I going to watch boring surveillance holos without my morning stimulant?"

Ben gave a shrug. "Maybe there will be caf at the station."

I cringed. "I tried their caf. I think a semi-sentient simian possessing zero taste buds made the coffee the last time I was there. It had a grainy texture and a fishy taste to it."

Ben chuckled. "The station commander is a Calamarian. That might explain it."

I propped my head up with my arm as I tried to stay awake. "Do you have any stimchews?"

Ben shook his head. "Sorry. I did see a vending machine outside in the hanger bay. It might have some."

"Great." I put my hands on the table and pushed myself up into a standing position. "Do you want anything?"

"No. You never know how long the stuff has been in the machine."

"Alright. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I walked to the back of the ship, lowered the ramp and exited. It was early enough in the morning that the docking bay was quiet. It helped that we were in the long term bays where people parked their ships for extended stays. Rarely is there a lot of traffic in the weeklong ship berths.

I looked up and down the line of ships but didn't see any vending machines. I walked down the concourse, gazing down the corridor off shoots. I could sense Jonnar's men lurking about. He said he was going to leave somebody behind to keep an eye on us. I looked around and spied somebody familiar at the far end of the bay. It was Terk. He raised a hand in greeting before his new girlfriend Sissy grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the shadows.

"Wonderful," I muttered sarcastically. "I bet those two aren't doing surveillance as much as practicing full body searches and pat downs."

I finally located the vending machine halfway down an empty passageway. I stood at the machine scrutinizing the assortment of treats until I found stimchews on the bottom row. I pulled out some low denominational credits and paid for the chews causing giant coil to turn. It was supposed to knock the purchased item out to the bottom of the machine…but the stimchews got stuck. I swear these machines are probably made by corporations that also make money on anger management classes. Each year some unfortunate soul is crushed by a vending machine that they rocked a little too hard in an attempt to dislodge some unhealthy snack. Luckily for me, I'm a Jedi. I made a wave of my fingers and knocked the chews free using the Force. The Masters often lecture us not to use the Force for trivial purposes...but I don't see this as a trivial, since it is preventing me from going all darkside on this stupid machine.

Before I could reach down and grab the chews, I heard a sweet sensual voice call out my name. "Talon." I turned and smiled widely at the sight of my heart-stopping gorgeous wife. Gods! She looked so good in what she was wearing. It was a dress I've never seen before-a form hugging sundress that showcased all her wonderful womanly assets. She smiled sensuously as she walked toward me, her dark silky hair swirling around her shoulders with every step.

"Zylie," I said surprised. "You're back early. I guess the trade run went well."

She cozied up in front of me and stood on her toes to capture my lips with hers. "It went faster than expected."

"Yeah it did. How was Ryloth?" As soon as the words came out of my mouth I realized there was no way her and Valla could have made it to Ryloth and back in such a short time. Perhaps they did a different run for Karrde's corporation.

"Ryloth had good weather." She put her arms around me and gave a sultry grin. "I missed you."

"You missed me?" I whispered softly remembering the safe word system that Zylie set up before we left. We were supposed to say the exact opposite of what we actually felt. Of course I told her that wouldn't work because I thought witches could read minds…but my time with Jonnar made me question that belief. I began shielding my thoughts through the Force, but just in case this was an exceptionally proficient mind-reading witch disguised as my wife, I decided to keep my mind occupied as much possible by thinking of pink Rancors.

_'Pink Rancors, Pink Rancors,'_ I thought to myself before I posed my next question to Zylie. "So you miss me? Do you remember what we talked about before we left?" I gave her my best come-hither look to throw her suspicions off as I silently repeated my mantra: _'Pink Rancors, pink Rancors, pink Rancors.'_ I slowly put my hand on my blaster and made sure it was on stun. I was seventy percent certain this was not my Zylie. I would know after she answered my question.

Her smile faded a little but she quickly answered. "What we talked about? Do you mean how much I love you and how I can't wait to make love to my handsome stud when I returned."

That was it. This is not Zylie…unless she didn't really love me and she didn't want to have sex with me because she thought I was ugly and impotent.

_'Oh crap, I'm not thinking of pink Rancors!'_ I thought to myself. Already I could see her smile slip as she tried to take a step away from me, but it was too late. With the speed of a skilled Jedi Guardian I unholstered my blaster and stunned my wife's twin. As I squeezed the trigger I prayed that I hadn't make a mistake… that Zylie didn't forgot our plan.

As the blaster bolt hit my wife's lookalike her appearance began to alter as she slipped into unconscious. I was greatly relieved to find our rogue witch passed out at my feet. I pulled my comlink out of my pocket and called Ben.

"Ben! Get you parents! I got the witch. I'm outside!"

"I hear you," came his surprised response.

The sound of running echoed down the corridor and I caught sight of Terk and Sissy swiftly approaching. "You got Lita!" Terk sounded impressed. I laughed when I saw the young man's face. It was covered with lipstick imprints. "Yep, I got the witch…and it looks like a witch got you."

"Huh."

Sissy looked to her boyfriend and quickly tried to wipe the lipstick off his face with the end of her tunic sleeve.

I heard a commotion behind me and turned to see Ben and his parents jogging to my position. They looked like they dressed in a hurry. Luke still had his sleep pants on under his Jedi tunic. My Aunt Mara had what looked like a sleep shirt on under a bathrobe. At least they had the forethought to grab their lightsabers.

My former master smiled widely with an expression I usually don't see from her…pride. "Good work. Did she just walk up to you?"

"She came to me as Zylie, but she didn't fool me for a second." I said excitedly. "I knew it wasn't her when she said she missed me, loved me and couldn't wait to make love to me. Once she said that—pow! I shot her."

My aunt and uncle looked at each other in confusion. "What? Wait. What…" Mara didn't finish that thought. She waved me off as she went to check on the unconscious witch. "Never mind. I've learned long ago never ask a Tantiss man a question that I might not want an answer to. Let's get her into the ship." She grabbed the woman's boots as Ben and Luke each put an arm under her torso. "If you and Zylie are having problems that it is none of my business."

As they carried the woman to the ship I tried to explain. "It's not that Aunt Mara. She didn't know Zylie's safe word."

I could hear Ben give a snort.

"Not a safe word, safe word," I clarified. It is more like a safe sentence."

Mara shook her head as they carried the stunned woman up the ship's loading ramp. "You are not making things sound better, Talon."

Ben turned to me and grinned. "But it does sound interesting."

I decided to drop the subject. "What are we going to do with her?"

Luke looked back to me as they brought the woman into my cabin. "We're going to stuncuff her to your bed." A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "Do you have a pair of cuffs or did you leave them on the _Vazy Princess?"_

I glowered at my uncle. "No I don't have any."

They dropped the woman onto my bunk none to gently. "That's okay Talon. I have a pair in my cabin," my aunt said dryly as she walked out of the room.

I gave a shudder not wanting to know why they have stuncuffs in their cabin…but knowing my aunt she probably has stuncuffs, neural disruptors, a shocker stick and a thermal detonator in her nightstand just for personal protection.

Terk and Sissy came up behind me. "We contacted my father. He's bringing the Ysalamiri and backup."

I turned to Terk. "Do you know what planet you are going to dump her on?"

Terk nodded. "Jonnar has two planets picked out…but I'm not supposed to give out that information. You'll have to ask him yourself." He put his arm around Sissy and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. He then looked at me sadly. "Hey, sorry things aren't going well between you and your wife."

"I'm not having problems with my wife!" I shook my head in frustration, but decided not to argue the point. I left the witch to Ben and Luke as I trudged off to the galley. I knew there was only hot chocolate, but maybe I could find some Corellian whiskey to go into it.

Maybe with enough whiskey I would actually get some sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Entry 19_ **

Jonnar and a number of his enforcers showed up with a ysalamiri before the rogue witch woke up. That is a good thing because it made it easier for them to smuggle her out of the ship and into a speeder.

As his men loaded the murderous witch into their vehicle Jonnar searched me out to say goodbye. He found me leaning against the galley bulkhead drinking juice and wishing it was caf. "Good work on capturing my felonious witch," he said while holding out his hand. I grasped it and gave a firm shake. "I guess Lita didn't count on you having troubles with your wife."

I dropped my hand and frowned. I was about to correct him on that mistaken belief when he laughed and gave me a dismissive wave. "I'm joking. Ben told me you had some type of password system with your wife. That is good thinking on your wife's part."

I gave him an irritated gaze as I put my drink down on the counter. "Why do you think it was her idea and not mine?"

He gave a shrug. "I'm sorry, was it your idea?"

I glared at him. "No, it was hers."

He laughed before reaching out and giving my shoulder a squeeze. "I'm not insinuating you don't have the intelligence or foresight to think up such a precaution. When Ben told me what happened with him and Lita, I was certain your wife would want to ensure you didn't have the same scam pulled on you. Women are protective of their men when it comes to another woman trying to poach her husband." He dropped his hand and smiled warmly. "I'm thankful that you, Ben and his parents were so understanding about the situation and not seeking retribution for my men kidnapping you. It is refreshing to have people treat us like any other sentient and not as something that should be eradicated."

I gave a chuckle. "Thank you for not killing us when you had the chance…or making me marry your daughter."

Jonnar gave out a booming laugh as he gave my shoulder a friendly slap. "You're alright." He threw a thumb in the direction of the ships boarding ramp. "Your Jedi friends are outside and are making sure Lita is secured. I just wanted to thank you in person."

He turned and moved down the boarding ramp and out of the ship. I followed behind and watched as he said his goodbyes to the Skywalkers. He then jumped into his speeder, signaled his comrades to move out before taking off down the large docking bay corridor.

Luke and Mara looked incredibly relieved at his departure. "Ugh. I forgot how much I dislike being in an ysalamiri Force void," my uncle said.

My aunt gave him a nudge of her shoulder and a grin. "I don't know. It brings back fond memories of the first time we met on Myrkr."

He shook his head. "The first time we met was on Candoras."

My Aunt Mara gave a roll of the eyes. "That doesn't count. I didn't know who you were back then. Plus, I didn't even remember that meeting until you reminded me years later."

Luke gave a deep frown of mock disappointment. "I'm sorry I didn't make a lasting impression on you, but I guess I am guilty of not noticing you the second time we met while on Tatooine." He gave a chuckle as the two moved toward the ship with Ben and me following a couple paces behind.

"We really didn't meet on Tatooine," my aunt insisted. "I just watched you make a fool out of yourself before dropping into a Rancor pit." She grinned. "And please don't tell me that was part of your master plan." She laughed with a shake of the head. "No, now that I think about it…it probably was part of your strategy. I have never seen anybody plan out such a convoluted rescue that had so many variables that could have easily gone wrong." She leaned in and kissed Luke on the cheek. "The ysalamiri reminds me of you lying in bed, drugged, unconscious and at my mercy."

"Wait are we talking about when we were on Myrkr or last week."

"Dad!" Ben groaned. "I know you are joking, but that is just a disturbing thought."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah…I was just joking." He reached the top of the boarding ramp and pressed the button to close up the ship. As we moved through the cargo deck to the crew area my uncle turned and grinned at us. "Good work you two. Nobody was hurt or killed in her apprehension and you got a murder off the street. Jonnar let me know how to contact him if we ever think we have another out-of-control witch or if we ever need their help. They are experts at illusions. They could be helpful in some missions. He wants to assure good working relations with the Jedi in the future. Now we just have to figure out how to get you two back to your wives."

Ben smiled. "I heard from Zylie and Valla. They finished up on Ryloth and are on their way back."

"Do you want to meet them half way? Your mother and I can give you a ride."

"No, they have to come by here for their next run anyway. Talon and I can get a hotel room for a couple days."

Mara shook her head adamantly. "No way. We don't have to get back to Coruscant any time soon. We'll stay here until their arrival. You can stay with us. I would like to spend some time with you two and also see my daughter-in-law and Zylie."

Ben looked to me questioningly. "Are you okay with that?"

I nodded. "Sure."

As my aunt and uncle wandered off toward the flight deck I leaned over toward Ben and whispered a plea. "Please switch cabins with me."

Ben laughed caustically. "No way. The only thing worse than overhearing senior citizens having sex is hearing your senior citizen parents having sex." He gave a shudder. "We can still get a hotel room if you want."

I groaned. "And have to explain to them why? No. I'll just take my blaster and stun myself at bedtime."

"I'll stun you if you want." He walked to the galley and reached to the back of a high cabinet before pulling out a bottle of Corellian whiskey. "Or maybe this will help. It is Uncle Han's stash."

I smiled broadly. I usually don't drink, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

.

.

**_Entry 20_ **

It was early morning when Ben banged on my cabin door. "Hey Talon! The _Vazy Princess_ just docked. They're located two buildings over in the large freighter bay."

"Be out in a minute!" I quickly dressed and met my cousin out in the corridor. It looks like he just rolled out of bed minutes before I did. His red hair was disheveled, his tunic wrinkled and I could see beard stubble surrounding his wide grin. I looked around the ship. "Are your parents awake?"

He shook his head. "I left them a message telling them we will stop by with our wives at lunch. Let's go."

"Let me brush my teeth. I want to give her a huge kiss when I see her."

"Hurry up."

I quickly cleaned up and followed Ben out of his parents' ship and down the quiet docking bay corridors. As we left the long term berthing structure and headed toward the oversize freighter bays the movement and voices of hundreds of various species started to fill the area. Fueling and repair droids rolled from ship-to-ship as pilots made their way to various restaurants that serviced the space travelers. At the very last berthing slot we saw our ship. The entry ramp was down and I spied Valla walking around the exterior of the ship doing her post-flight inspection. Ben ran to her and grabbed her up in his arms eliciting a shout of joy from his wife. As they fell into an ardent embrace I rushed up the ramp to find Zylie.

I caught her dragging Princess out of our cabin by the collar and moving her to the cargo area. She gave me an apologetic look as she greeted me. "I'll just be a second Talon. I am going to lock up Princess so she doesn't attack you."

I gave an irritated grunt. I dislike Zylie treating that beast the same as a lovable pittin and allowing it to sleep at the foot of our bed when I am not around. She coaxed the animal into the cargo bay but not before it gave me a sinister growl and a toothy snarl.

She closed the door and turned around grinning enthusiastically before she ran up to me and pulled me into a long, lusty kiss. "I love you," she said as she leaned back.

I frowned. I know this has to be Zylie, but she obviously forgot our code. Stang! If she did show up on Kuat two days early I may have stunned her with a blasterbolt.

She noticed my reaction and stepped back. "What's wrong?"

I chuckled. "What about your safe word system?"

She looked confused for a moment before her eyes went wide with understanding. "Oh yeah...say the opposite of what I feel or believe. I forgot all about that."

I scoffed. "Well I didn't. I was approached by that murderous witch while she was looking just like you and when she said she missed me I stunned her cute Zylie-look-alike butt."

She smiled widely. "Ben told me you caught her, but he didn't tell me how." She smirked. "She obviously didn't look much like me."

I shook my head. "She looked exactly like you. It was the secret code you made up that convinced me she wasn't you."

"Well," she said with a devious smile. "I don't want you to have any doubts about my identity." She put her hands on her hips and glared at me with a mock look of indignation. "Talon Tantiss! I can't tell you how much I didn't miss you while we were apart! I can't stand being around you! And I certainly don't want to have sex with you!"

I laughed as I went in to kiss her. "I'm convinced."

She pushed me away and continued her fake tirade. "Don't touch me with those…non-sensual hands of yours….you, you ugly, unkempt, ill-hung, out-of-shape peace of Bantha skat! I don't know why I married you! You have horrible hygiene and you are lousy in bed!"

Okay, I know she is doing the opposite of what she really feels, but she appears to be having way too much fun with this charade.

"What's going on guys?" It was Ben's concerned voice calling out from behind me.

I closed my eyes in frustration before I turned and found my cousin standing at the top of the boarding ramp looking extremely troubled by my wife's words. I spread out my hands in an apologetic gesture before giving my cousin a cheesy grin. "Safe word exercise."

My cousin chuckled knowingly. "Oh! I'm sorry to interrupt. Go on Zylie. We can't be too careful when it comes to witches."

Zylie struggled to keep a straight face as she raked her gaze up and down my body. "I absolutely don't want you in my bed now or ever. I don't even think about running your hands up and down my body before making love to me for hours…because I that is something I detest."

"Okay," Ben groaned. "I think we have verified your identity, Zylie."

"No, I want to tell him how I hate his unimpressive pectorals, his flabby abdominal muscles and totally non-arousing butt. The only good thing I can say about Talon is he is humble. Humble about his looks and actions. He's the most humble man I know. But I guess a guy who is such a dud in bed probably should be humble."

Ben threw up his hands. "That's it, I'm out of here." He turned and exited the ship leaving me and Zylie alone. I pulled her into my embrace and kissed her soundly before I leaned back and smirked. "How's that."

She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing. "Awful."

I heaved a sigh and let my shoulder's slump. "I guess you are going to have to tutor me when it comes to improving my performance in the bedroom."

She grinned as she pulled me into another kiss. Her hazel eyes sparkled happily as she stepped back, took my hand in hers and guided me to our cabin. "It may take hours or days, but I will do my best to instruct you on how to satisfy a woman."

"It may take weeks," I said with a laugh as entered our cabin. "Or years!"

Ha! It's good to be home.

.

.

**_Entry 21_ **

Later that day, we all had lunch with Ben's parents on the _Jade Shadow_. My Aunt Mara ordered food delivery consisting of an excellent Kuat stir-fried spiced beef with noodles. It was an overall relaxing afternoon until the Grand Master received a call from Corran Horn who was the acting head of the Jedi Council when my Uncle Luke was away. We were finishing up our meal when my Aunt went to answer the ship's subspace transceiver. Almost immediately she came back to get the Grand Master.

"Corran wants to give you a heads up on what the Chief-of-State got up to while we were off planet."

Uncle Luke made a face before he wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood from the dining table. "What is that idiot up to now?"

Mara shrugged. "He's probably having more paranoid delusions." She waved at the rest of us. "You might as well join us since it probably involves all Jedi."

Ben and I stood. Zylie gave a quick glance to her sister before she rose and followed. Valla decided to do the same.

We all crowded onto the flight deck and stared at the subspace transceiver video screen which was now occupied with the image of Corran Horn. The green eyed Jedi was rubbing his hand over his bearded face, something he always did when frustrated.

Luke sat down in the pilot's seat and gave a forced smile. "What happened now?"

Corran brought his hand back and massaged the muscles in his neck. "It may be nothing, but with Chief-of-State Mokk Streke it's probably something." Corran blew out a breath before continuing. "Streke pushed through the senate a bill that will finance another wing to the Coruscanti penitentiary. It is a five hundred bed faculty…and all cells are enclosed by Force cages."

Ben and I groaned when we heard the news. I am fairly sure we were all wondering if Streke was preparing for war with the Jedi.

Luke ran a hand through his blond hair and closed his eyes in annoyance. "How did he justify that?"

Corran shook his head sadly. "I hate to say this, but he has substantial proof of crimes where a Force user was believed to be the culprit."

"Can any of this be verified?" My aunt asked.

Corran nodded. "I've seen some of the security vids and unless they were tampered, it does look like the Force was involved in some of the crimes. There was evidence of levitation, mind tricks with guards and even Force shoves."

"No lightsabers?" Ben asked.

"No, there is no indication that these crimes were committed by Jedi. The criminals they managed to catch are not Jedi Knights or former students. I've looked at the statistics and it appears there has been an increase of crime by possible Force users over the last thirty-five years…dating back to the establishment of the Jedi Temple."

Luke moaned while pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and finger. He looked back up to Corran, his mouth stretched into a thin line. "Does anybody have any explanation? Wait…first tell me, what does Streke believe is happening."

"He thinks we are somehow involved in the increase of Force crimes…that we are trying to subvert his authority by making him look like an ineffectual leader…a person incapable of stemming the crime spree plaguing the capital."

Mara threw her hands up. "Of course he does. Never mind the fact that his own political bungling is the reason he looks like an ineffectual leader."

Luke regarded to Corran. "What do you think is the cause?"

The Jedi ran his fingers through his beard in thought. "I know we have a strict vetting process for Jedi candidates. They have to be nominated by a senator or territorial leader. They must get a letter of recommendation from a current Jedi Knight or Master and they have to do all of this on their home worlds. With that said, every year thousands of Jedi wannabes show up on the temple doorstep begging for a chance to be interviewed or tested."

"Walk-ins are never allowed," Luke sighed.

"True, but most of these young people have used every credit they've saved just to get to Coruscant. Once here they are turned away and stranded on the city-world. I think that may be the source of this increasing number of weak to marginal Force-using criminals." Corran gave a frustrated gesture. "If they don't have useful job skills they might resort to robbery or grifting."

Mara folded her arms across her body and glowered at the screen. "If that is true…there isn't anything the Jedi council can do about it. We can't stop people from traveling to Coruscant."

Corran threw his hands up in a sign of defeat. "And that is why Coruscant is now getting a five hundred unit penitentiary wing to hold Force-using offenders."

My uncle rubbed his thumbs against his temples. "The Jedi can't oppose the facility when there is documented evidence of its need. I guess we will just have to accept this."

Corran nodded in agreement. "Luke," Corran said slowly. "Streke's paranoia against the Jedi is becoming problematic. Already there are rumors that he is sowing the seeds of discontent among the senate and world leaders. I've seen more than one news report accusing the Jedi of corruption or other nefarious undertakings. It may be time to consider moving the Temple away from Coruscant."

My uncle didn't respond right away, when he did his voice held an unusual edge. "I think that is exactly what he wants…or what somebody else wants and is using Streke to make it happen. You saw the footage Corsec captured of him and an unknown person discussing the removal of the Jedi from Coruscant. Somebody wants us off the planet for a reason."

"True." Worry darkened Corran's expression. "But if he does decide to turn on the Jedi…it would be nice to be out of his reach."

Luke shook his head. "And go where? Any place within the Galactic Alliance is within his reach and any planet we relocate to will feel his wrath if he is so inclined to turn on the Jedi. I know Jacen and Tenel Ka have invited me to established sub-temples in the Consortium, but if I do that will it strain their relationship with the Alliance?"

"Emperor Fel would welcome us," My Aunt Mara said with a slight smirk.

My uncle laughed. "Go over to the Empire? I'm sure that wouldn't upset the Alliance," he said sarcastically. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. "No, just let things be for now. Something new will come up to distract the Chief-of-State."

"Maybe a shiny piece of metal or a pretty rock," my aunt said acerbically.

"Or Stygium crystals," Corran said with a smirk.

My uncle sat up in his chair. "What about Stygium crystals?"

"Rumor has it a stygium-bearing vein was unearthed on Ec Pand. If that's true, the crystals are so expensive and rare that they could make Ec Pand one of the top ten richest planets in our galaxy."

My stomach dropped upon hearing that news. Ec Pand was part of the Indupar Crown Worlds ruled by young King Marcus Odaj Indupar…my son. Of course, only my immediate family and Ben and Valla know that I am the father. I promised his mother I wouldn't tell anybody else about his parentage.

Ben glanced over to me looking deeply concerned but didn't speak.

Mara gave a devious smile. "I bet that news is driving our Chief-of-State crazy. Ec Pand is not in the Galactic Alliance and those crystals are used to make cloaking devices. They are highly regulated by our government. Do you think the GA will try to annex the planet?"

Corran shrugged. "If it is true, Streke will either have to negotiate with the Indupar government or seize the planet. I don't think he will want Ec Pand selling the crystals to foreign governments…not when they are strictly regulated everywhere else."

"Perhaps I should go and talk to this young king and warn him of the possibility. I have been meaning to meet Mark's young protégé for some time now." Luke turned to me. "You've met the King, what do you think of him?"

I didn't answer. I was fighting down the bile creeping up my throat. All I wanted to do was get back to my ship and contact my parents and find out what was going on and have them prepare for trouble.

"Talon?" My uncle prompted me out of my musings. "Do you think he will sell the crystals to the highest bidder?"

I shook my head. "No. He wouldn't want to disrupt the military balance of the galaxy…and I don't think you should go to Indupar."

He rotated his seat so he could look at me fully. "Why is that?"

I took a calming breath and began to lie. The last thing I wanted was my aunt and uncle on Indupar because if they came into contact with Marcus they would immediately know he was my son. "Because Mokk Streke already believes you are trying to destabilize his government. If he discovers you traveled to Indupar, he'll assume you are trying to acquire the crystals for your own purposes."

Luke gave me a long hard look before nodding. "You're probably right."

"If you want, I can go talk to the king. My father is training him. That shouldn't look suspicious."

Luke turned back to the transceiver screen where Corran waited silently. "What do you think Corran? Should we send a Jedi?"

"I think Talon is right. He's probably the only Jedi that can travel to Indupar without raising an eyebrow."

Luke glanced back to me. "Prep your StealthX, Talon. See if you can find out what the Indupar Crown worlds plan to do with such militarily strategic crystals." He looked to Mara and then returned his gaze back to me. "You may want to give the young king a heads up that the Galactic Alliance might want to acquire those particular resources."

"Right away," I turned and motioned for Zylie to follow me back to the ship. I desperately needed to talk to my parents before I left.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Entry 22_ **

When Zylie and I got to the _Vazy Princess_ I immediately went to our cabin, switched on the subspace transceiver and punched in the code for my parents' apartment in the Indupar Palace. My mother answered my call and visibly blanched upon seeing me.

"Talon." The way she said my name made my gut clench nervously. She was sitting at a desk—probably at her bedroom transceiver—with a panicked look on her face. She averted her gaze momentarily before looking back to me. "I suppose you heard the news," she said softly.

I nodded. "Just now. What does dad think about the situation?"

Mom gave me a strange look. "Of course, he was horrified. It came as a complete surprise. I know he is scared of your reaction…that you would blame him."

My brow furrowed in confusion. _Why would my dad think I would blame him for a mining discovery?_ "Mom, I don't know why dad would think I'd be mad at him. He's not responsible for what happened on Ec Pand."

My mother let out a shuddering breath as her posture visibly relaxed. "That's a relief. I'm so glad to hear you say that. He was really worried. Your father wanted to be the first to tell you. He thought he would have time to get back from the battlefield and contact you before the news hit the holonet. I guess the newsflash moved faster than we anticipated."

"What?" I muttered, realizing my mother and I were talking about two very different things…and what she was referring to was obviously something that might upset me. "Battlefield? What battlefield? I heard about the discovery of the Stygium crystals but nothing about a battle going on? What happened? Did the Galactatic Alliance attack? Is dad okay?"

My mother's mouth open and then closed without saying a word. She looked completely dumbfounded. "You don't know about the battle?"

"No! What's going on?"

She closed her eyes and sighed. "The Nagai attacked Ec Pand. Your father and a regiment of Indupar infantry responded."

My jaw went slack at the news. The Nagai are a race of near humans from the planet Nagi located in a satellite galaxy known as _Firefist_. They are known as fearless fighters and experts in guerrilla warfare. "Dad's okay, right?" I was becoming a little frantic. My father was a veteran of dozens of battles and I never seen my mother so flustered (except for the time he lost his leg).

"Your father is fine. We're all fine. Let me get your father on the line and transfer you. He wants to talk to you before you hear crazy rumors."

"What rumors? Mom what's going…" I didn't get to finish my sentence. My mother put me on hold as she attempted to connect me to my father. I turned to Zylie who was sitting behind me at the edge of our bed. "I have a bad feeling about this."

I could tell she was just as concerned, but she put on a brave face. "Your mother said everybody was fine. She wouldn't lie about that. She probably just doesn't know the details of what happened and wants your father to tell you himself."

My jaw tightened as I tried to steady my nerves. "Or my mother doesn't want to be the one to break bad news to me."

Zylie didn't get a chance to reply. At that moment my father's image appeared on the transceiver signal was full of static and all I could see was the side of my dad's head as he fiddled with an instrument console panel. I wasn't sure where he was at the moment, but it looked like the interior of an armored ground transport command post. I have been in a few while serving at a Void Jumper. I could see communication equipment, vidscreens, infrared proximity sensors and various weapon control systems in the background. Usually the command post has at least a handful of men manning the various stations, but this one looked empty. Either the battle was over or my father kicked everybody out so he could talk to me in private. Eventually the signal cleared and he turned around to face the transceiver. When I saw the look of dread on his normally jovial face, I knew something very bad had happened. "Crap," I whispered to myself as I stepped back and sat heavily on my bed. "Dad? What's wrong?"

My father ran a hand nervously over his red beard as his eyes shifted down and then back to me. "I was hoping for a day or two to prepare for this conversation." He blew out a breath as he ran his hand over his face. "Talon, first of all I want to say nobody in your family is hurt, but something's happened that is going to upset you. Your mom said you haven't heard the news or seen holovids of the battle…which is good, because I think you should hear it from me first."

Zylie reached out and put a reassuring hand on my knee as I felt her apprehension wash over me through the Force. "What happened?"

"Is this line secure?"

I nodded. "It's highly encrypted on my side. I am sure the same is true on your end. Zylie is here with me."

My father nodded. "That's fine." He reached back with a hand and rubbed his neck where I could visibly see the tension in his neck muscles. "Ec Pand was attacked by the Nagai."

"That's what Mom said. I heard there was a discovery of Stygium Crystals…were they after that?"

My father drew a deep sigh. "Yes, and I doubt they will be the only government trying to seize the planet's assets. They are worth more than the gross domestic product of most worlds."

"But you stopped them, right?"

"We did."

I blew out a relieved breath. If the Nagai gained access to the crystals they could become a formable enemy."So, what's wrong? Did you..." I stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly realizing this must have something to do with my son. "Is Marcus alright?" I asked frantically, making sure I didn't say 'son'. This transmission might be highly encrypted but a top slicer might be able to overcome those precautions and I didn't want anybody outside my family knowing the king of Indupar was not the true heir to the throne.

"The King is well…but he is the reason I want to talk to you." My father hesitated and I could see he was deeply troubled. "He led his forces on Ec Pand."

"What?!" I shot to my feet. "He's twelve years old!"

My father's head dropped. "I know, but he is the King. I can't order the boy around. I was with him…most of the time."

"Most of the time!" I shook my head in disbelief. "You wouldn't let me go into combat conditions until I was eighteen and a legal adult, but you allow your…king to lead troops into combat?! He's twelve-kriff'n-years-old! He's not even a teenager!" I could not believe my father let my only child on a battlefield!

My father's jaw tighten as he talked through clenched teeth. "I am _not_ his father! He is the King of Indupar. He believed leading his forces will reinforce his position as ruler of the Crown Worlds."

Anger was beginning to boil up inside me and had to use a Jedi meditation technique to calm myself. I knew what my father was saying. Marcus wanted to ingratiate himself to his people and prove his ability to lead. "What happened?"

My father looked ill at ease as he continued. "I think it is best that you see the video. It will be broadcast on our planet later today and will probably be all over the galaxy by tomorrow." He heaved a sigh. "I'll narrate what's happening."

After a moment my father's face was replaced by a grainy holovid of heavily armed Indupar soldiers wearing battle fatigues and body armor positioned around a town that was obviously protected by a particle/force shield. I could see the generator in the distance emanating long flickering lines of energy up and around the village. "The Indupar Army had pushed back the Nagai Forces to a small town outside the crystal mines," my father narrated. "The enemy put up a shield generator and were dug in. We figured this was the advance party tasked with reconnaissance and to secure a position. They had picked an isolated area and scrambled communications so the locals couldn't call for help. The Nagei forces appeared very surprised that the Indupar Government almost immediately knew they were on Ec Pand."

I gave a soft snort. I knew exactly how the Indupar Government knew the Nagai were there. The royal H'Drachi Seers foresaw this attack. I am surprised they let them get as far as Ec Pand. They must have wanted them there for some reason.

"Marcus called a truce, a suspension of hostilities, for the purpose of negotiations. He wanted to talk to the Nagai leader. With the energy and shock field in place around the enemy forces I guess the Nagai general didn't believe he was in any danger. We couldn't move or fire through the barrier—I couldn't even use the Force to affect things on the other side of the shield. It acted like a Force cage. Of course, I knew the Nagai could have snipers outside the field so I demanded to accompany the King, along with his personal guards."

At this point in the video I could see my son, dressed in a very conspicuous dress blue uniform with gold epaulettes, walk toward the encapsulated town. If he was wearing any protective gear I didn't see it. Towering next to him was my father wearing green pixilated fatigues with beskar'gam armor plating covering his chest, groin and shoulders. Ten of Marcus' personal guards and a platoon of ground troopers followed close behind.

Marcus came to the shock field and waited the arrival of the Nagai commander. Eventually a man walked toward the field followed by an equally well-armed entourage. All the Nagai warriors had pale skin and black, spiked hair. The General was taller than his companions, possibly two meters in height and was extremely gaunt. He looked like an emaciated corpse. He swaggered up to where Marcus stood and I could see the shock field glisten in the sunlight, separating the two leaders.

"At this point Marcus politely told the Nagai leader that as King of the Indupar Crown Worlds he was ruler of Ec Pand and that if the Nagai leader surrendered and his men put down their weapons he would allow the army to return to the Firefist system unmolested, but the General would receive a trial for crimes against the people of Ec Pand. Of course this offer was greeted by laughter."

I could see in the holovid the pale skin troopers smiling in amusement as the Nagai leader gave my son a dismissive gesture.

"The General told Marcus that the Nagai would prevail." My dad took a deep breath and then continued."Marcus then said, ' _I know you believe reinforcements will arrive soon. Two hundred frigates should be coming out of hyperspace at any moment to devastate my armies. Unfortunately for you, they will never arrive. My naval forces activated a gravity well projector along the anticipated hyperspace lane linking the Ec Pand system to the Firefist galaxy. An interdiction field was generated pulling the Nagai fleet out of hyperspace and were subsequently crushed by my forces.'"_

I could see on the holovid the General call to a soldier who was probably the communications officer. The man pulled out a portable transceiver from a satchel, pushed some buttons and shouted into the device. He turned to the general and shook his head.

My father paused the video. "The General didn't believe Marcus, stating it was a ruse. Marcus unclipped his lightsaber and repeated his demands to the General. When the man refused this happened."

My dad turned the vid back on and I watched my son do the impossible—he walked right through the shock field.

I don't know of any Jedi that can do this. Grand Master Luke can create an energy resistant Force bubble to protect him from blasters, but as far as I know he doesn't know how to counter the properties of an Energy Field. I have no idea where Marcus learned this skill, but by my father's surprised reaction in the holovid I could tell Dad didn't teach him this technique. My father tried to follow my son, but was shocked back from the energy screen.

I heard Zylie gasp as the events unfolded. As soon as my son was on the other side of the field he activated his lightsaber and decapitated the General with one swipe. The Nagai soldiers stepped back in shock before they started unloading their blasters on him. Marcus blocked the blasterfire with his lightsaber with ease before he held out an open hand in the direction of the energy generator. He made a flick of his wrist and the generator levitated up and over, smashing into the side of a building. As the protective shield fell, Indupar military snipers took out the remaining enemy near my son before a wave of soldiers advanced forcing the Nagai soldiers into a full retreat. The king's bodyguards quickly formed a protective circle around the boy, which didn't keep my father at bay. He shoved his way to the inner circle to confront Marcus. There was no audio but I could see my dad yelling and gesturing wildly. Marcus gave my dad a reassuring pat on the shoulder and said something before he turned and—accompanied by his guards—walked away from the town and towards whoever was filming the holovid. He stared directly into the holocam for a second or two, his expression was one of a victorious commander, full of power and determination, but as he turned away from the camera operator I caught a disturbing hint of a smug smile.

The holovid faded and was replaced by the image of my father. "The King suffered no injuries. He killed the Nagai General and a possibly two more by deflecting their blasterbolts back to their direction." My father paused. "He told the General the truth. The Nagai armada was pulled out of hyperspace and destroyed. When this holovid is edited, narrated and broadcast over the Crown World HoloNet the boy will be the hero of the Indupar and Ec Pand systems."

I ran a hand through my hair realizing I developed a cold sweat. "Dad, how? How did he learn how to counter a shock field with the Force? Did you train him to do that?"

My father shook his head. "I wish I could take credit for teaching him that impressive skill, but I didn't. He didn't do it through the Force at all, although I am sure he is going to let public believe he did. Physicists employed by the Royal House designed a personal energy field confounder. The device is small, but it can sense the frequency of an energy field and then project its own energy field around a person's body that is 180 degrees out of phase. It makes a protective bubble allowing a person to pass through a shock field unmolested. But to sense the field one has to be practically touching it. That is why he wanted to get in close."

"And you let him!"

"I think you can tell I obviously didn't know what he had planned. If I did, it would have been me wearing the device, and he knew it." My father took a calming breath and blew it out. "I'm sorry Talon."

I shook my head in frustration. There was nothing I could do about this now. At least he wasn't harmed. "What did he do with the surviving Nagai?"

My dad gave me a faint smile. "He sent them home. Some of his commanders thought they should be executed for the destruction they caused. There were a number of deaths in the town they captured. But he said a good leader is not only seen as powerful but also humane. If he destroyed the Nagai Army the next invading force would be less likely to surrender."

I was still having trouble wrapping my head around everything I just witnessed. "Dad…he's only twelve years old."

My father looked at me sternly. "He is the king of the Indupar Crown worlds. He also will be in charge of a vast fortune of crystals that could make the Indupar military a major threat. He needs to show strength or every government in the galaxy will attempt to overthrow him. We are not under the protection of the Galactic Alliance or the Empire. We are an independent system."

I groaned realizing my father was right. "I can understand wanting to appear strong, but there is something that really bothers me…the Seers obviously knew about this attack some time in advance. Why didn't they stop the Nagai recon forces? You said there were casualties in the town. That could have been prevented. I saw that little smug expression at the end of the vid. Marcus let them die just so he can look good!"

My father's face darkened into an angry mask. "That is pure conjecture on your part!"

"Really, is it?" I crossed my arms across my chest and glared at my father. "You said the enemy jammed communications but the Indupar Army was upon them almost instantly. He knew."

I could see my father's jaw tighten as he looked away. "Marcus wouldn't allow the deaths of his people just to strengthen his image."

I studied my father's face. He was hiding something else from me. "What other reason could there be?"

He shrugged. "The seers see decades into the future. Showing strength on one battlefield might prevent a future war. Some decisions may appear coldhearted to those not possessing prescience."

I leaned forward. "Is that what he did, dad? Did he prevent a major war by doing this?"

"Maybe. It remains to be seen."

"What has he told you about the future?"

My father shook his head. "Very little. The seers are secretive, including Marcus."

"I don't like the seers," I muttered darkly. "I don't trust their motives…not one bit." I pointed at my father's image on the transceiver screen. "But, if they are going to continue predicting the future, let them know that they should watch out for the Galactic Alliance's Chief-of-State. He's going to want control over those crystals."

My father nodded. "I will, but I don't think the Alliance will attack without first trying to negotiate."

"Dad, Streke is crazy. Don't underestimate him."

My father chuckled for the first time in this conversation. "Don't worry about Mokk Streke. I can take care of him. It is the Queen I worry about."

"What's going on with the Queen?"

My dad shrugged. "Her and Ema's reaction to the video was worse than yours. I may have to leave Indupar for a while until she cools off. I am fairly certain they want to toss me in the brig. They blame me for Marcus wanting to be a warrior king, claiming I'm a bad influence on him."

"That's just great," I grumbled. "Do you think they'll let me come to Indupar? I would like to talk with Marcus."

My father smiled weakly. "If it is to talk sense into the king, I'm sure they will approve…and I would like that. Your mother and I miss you and Zylie terribly. Hopefully you won't be visiting me in the dungeon."

I glanced over to Zylie for a second. "It will probably just be me in the StealthX unless we can get a cargo order to Indupar."

My dad smiled broadly. "I am sure there is something we can order from your current location to make the trip profitable." My dad reached forward to his the deactivation switch. "I'll see you soon."

"Real soon." When the transceiver screen went black I looked over to Zylie. "My twelve-year-old son is a combat veteran."

She leaned against my shoulder and sighed. "You can't control him. You may be his father, but you can't discipline him. I doubt his mother has any sway over him. For what it's worth, he looks like he is a gifted and disciplined warrior like his father and grandfather. He's also a trained seer. I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"Maybe," I muttered. On one level I was proud at the courage and skill he exhibited, on another level I was horrified that my little boy decapitated a man before his thirteenth birthday.

They grow up so fast.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Entry 23_ **

Thirty-six hours later I arrived on Indupar. I really hate doing long trips in the StealthX. Traveling on the _Vazy Princess_ has spoiled me. I'd left Kuat shortly after talking to my father. I didn't want to be near my Aunt and Uncle when the video of my son showed up on the holonet. I am certain they would have more questions for me concerning my father and the young king.

I got clearance to land and set my starfighter down in the Royal Palace docking bay. In the spaceport corridor I could see my parents. My mom was wearing a conservative blue dress while my father was decked out in his Indupar military dress uniform made out of dark blue Savva Silk and accessorized by a chest full of medals, gold trouser stripes, gold and silver aiguilettes, a dark purple Fourragère, braided cuffs and a gold waist belt that held his lightsaber and an ornate gold-plated blaster.

He looked _so_ gaudy! Ha!

I powered down and popped the canopy. As I exited my ship my mother ran up and nearly tackled me with a fierce hug

"I've missed you so much," she cried happily. I was a bit surprised by her overly emotional embrace, but then I remembered she always got this way when someone in the family went into combat. It takes weeks for her anxiety to subside completely.

I gave my mother a hug and kiss and then broke away to give my father a hug. "I'm glad the Queen didn't banish you.

My dad embraced me and then stepped back as a big, bearded grin crossed his face. "I think she wanted to, but Marcus intervened on my behalf." He chuckled. "She'll get over it…eventually…maybe. Do you have luggage?"

I moved to the undercarriage of the StealthX and opened a small storage compartment. "Just my toiletries and a change of clothing." I raked my gaze across my dad's gold encrusted uniform. "I figured I could borrow some of your tamer outfits if I stay more than a day or two."

My dad looked down at his uniform and snickered. "Too much?"

"No," I said sarcastically. "You should have added some gold camouflage face paint, gold dental veneers, and an assortment of gold necklaces."

My dad guffawed as he wrapped an arm around my mother. "I'll have you know your mom thinks I look dashing in this uniform."

I made a face. "Enough said. I'd like to speak to the king if possible."

"Sure." My dad motioned for me to follow him. "He's expecting you."

.

.

**_Entry 24_ **

My mother took my flight bag and disappeared down the hall saying she had to get started on dinner. I followed my dad to a large training room where he often instructs Marcus in self-defense and Jedi techniques. Usually it is empty other than Marcus and an aide or two, but today there were a dozen other people with the young king working out on the mats practicing martial art take downs and submission holds. I wasn't positive, but I believe they were learning K'tara. It is a fighting style used by the Alliance Special Forces and other combat units. It stresses stealth and the quick neutralization of the enemy. They performed various strikes and defensive postures while a tall human instructor wearing what looked like a looser version of a black special operations uniform screamed out instructions.

I glanced at my father. "Who are these people?"

My dad threw a thumb in Marcus' direction. "They're Indupar Knight recruits. They are all Force-sensitives to some degree."

I regarded the new apprentices. Most were teenagers, but there was at least one recruit in his thirties and two others looked younger than Marcus…possibly ten or eleven years old. I turned to my father. "How are you going to train a dozen apprentices?"

My father rocked back on his heels and sighed. "I can't. Well, I can for the initial instruction, but they're going to eventually need Masters and _that_ I can't do. I've been talking to Jaina and Jacen about sending these recruits to their fully established Jedi Academies. Both are open to the prospect."

I looked back to the students. "Why not the Jedi Academy on Coruscant? I can understand the king not going there, but these other students could go. I am sure Uncle Luke would welcome them."

My dad shook his head. "We are not part of the Galactic Alliance. If I sent students to the Jedi Academy the Chief-of-State would probably insist that they swear allegiance to the GA or he would pressure the Indupar Crown Worlds to join the Alliance. That's why I am leaning toward sending them to train with Jaina and the Imperial Knights and not with Jacen. The Hapes Consortium has more independence than most worlds in the Alliance…but they are still in the Alliance. The Empire has more flexibility. Emperor Fel makes his own rules without bureaucrats breathing down his neck."

I had to laugh. "I never thought we would one day believe working with the Empire would be the better choice."

"True, but the decision hasn't been made yet." My dad raised a hand giving a signal to the instructor. The man nodded in acknowledgement before barking out orders for the group to halt training and to take a break. My dad and I walked up to Marcus who was sweating in his loose workout clothes. He smiled widely when he saw us but didn't break character. When in public he is always the king and I was simply a Jedi visitor.

"Jedi Tantiss, it is always an honor to have you visit."

I gave him a formal bow. "The honor is mine, your highness." The words came out polite and with the proper reverence accorded to a king, but deep inside I wanted to scold him for risking his life…but that would have to wait until we were out of the public view.

One of Marcus' aides handed him a towel that he used to wipe the sweat off his face and arms. "Please join me in my quarters. I look forward to catching up on news about your family and the Alliance."

We followed my son down the long winding halls leading to his personal quarters. Once behind closed doors we had the liberty to talk freely. "What the hell were you thinking?" I chastised Marcus. "You went into a war zone! What would've happened if you couldn't take down the generator? You would have been trapped inside the town with your army on the other side of the shield!"

Marcus grimaced a sour expression. "Dad, I already had this conversation with my military advisors, my generals, grandfather, grandma, my mother, and the queen mother."

I folded my arms across my chest, exasperated beyond words. "And what did all of those people tell you?"

Marcus looked down to the floor as a guilty blush crossed his face. "They told me exactly what you are preaching now. All I can say is, I made the decision as the ruler of the Indupar Crown Worlds and as a Seer. What I did was the correct decision."

I stared at him in annoyance, but what can I do? What's done is done. I walked over to his quarter's sitting area and flopped down on the couch. Marcus approached smiling sadly. "Sorry Dad. I didn't want to upset everybody, but it had to be done."

I looked up to him and sighed. "For the greater good, right?"

He nodded. "Yes."

I gave a defeated gesture. "What can I do? Nothing."

Marcus came and sat down next to me. "If it helps, I'll tell mom that you thoroughly chastised me."

I chuckled as I reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Just promise me you won't do something that dangerous again." I waited for his reply, but none came. I looked into his blue eyes and asked him again. "Promise me."

He looked away. "Dad, I can't make that promise."

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "The same reason why you can't make a similar promise to me. You are a Jedi Guardian. It is a dangerous job. My job can get just as dangerous."

My head dropped to the back cushions of the couch as I glanced over to my father standing off to the side. "Now I understand why mom forbade me from doing missions at a young age. It's terrifying seeing your child in harm's way."

Marcus smiled as he patted my knee. "Dad, don't worry. I don't foresee any more dangerous missions for me in the near future. I've made a huge purchase from Talon Karrde's shipping company and the _Vazy Princess_ should be here in a few days. Meanwhile we get to spend some time together and we can discuss what I should do with the Stygium crystals."

I relaxed for the first time since I saw the vid of Marcus on Ec Pand. "That sounds great."

.

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**_Entry 25_ **

After Marcus showered and changed his clothing we all went down to my parents' quarters where my mother had prepared one of our favorite meals: Coruscant game fowl served with Lipana berry sauce over seasoned rice. I really miss my mother's cooking. I hate to say it, but Zylie is terrible at preparing meals. Princess won't even eat her cooking leftovers. Valla and Ben are not much better. I appear to be the only person on the ship that can read a recipe.

It was a wonderful feast and a great evening. Dad and I purposely avoided the subject of the battle so not to upset my mother. We talked about Indupar Knight training, my pregnant vornskr, and my mission to catch a mind-witch. My parents thought Jonnar teasing his daughter about marrying me was hilarious and mom got all teary eyed when I revealed that I told the witch I would rather die than break my marital vows.

"Zylie is very lucky to have you as a husband," my mother said warmly.

I gave her a wide grin. "I keep telling her that, Mom, but I don't think she believes me."

My father rolled his eyes. "I wonder if vornskrs dislike giant egos? That would explain Princess' distaste for you."

Marcus let out a big laugh. "Did Princess growl at you again, dad?"

I made a noise of disgust as I raised my arm. "She bit me." I pointed to white scar tissue. "The bacta healed most of it but you can still see a scar where she clamped down on me."

"What did you do to her?" My mother's brow furrowed in confusion. "She's never bit anybody before."

"I didn't do anything. I was helping Zylie to give her a bath when I noticed her distended stomach and teats. I thought she might be pregnant and decided to feel her belly to confirm this belief. I guess she thought I was endangering her young and she bit me."

Marcus grinned. "Can I have a baby Vornskr?"

I laughed. "Once they are weaned you can have all of them."

My dad looked a little uneasy. "They won't come after my ysalamiri, will they?"

I shook my head. "Vornskrs eat ysalamiri in the Myrkr forest because that's their main food source. If you feed the animals they won't hunt."

"Unless you touch their belly," my son laughed.

I chuckled. "Correct. If you touch a pregnant vornskr's belly she may develop a craving for Jedi."

The remainder of the meal was spent laughing and telling stories about my childhood, Marcus' training, and the early years at the Jedi Academy when my father and Aunt Mara were Uncle Luke's first students.

It was a good get-together.

**_Entry 26_ **

I should have known something would spoil my evening and that 'something' came in the form of Ema Aiti who rang the buzzer of my guest quarters just as I was about to retire for the evening. I tightened the bathrobe over my sleep pants and answered the door. In the corridor I found Marcus' mother standing there, arms crossed over her chest and with a disapproving expression on her face. She didn't wait for an invitation to enter, but barged past me and into my guest quarters. "I heard from the palace staff that you were here. I should be told when my son's father is visiting and not have to hear it from the help."

I spread my hands out in a placating gesture. "I didn't know you weren't told. I was invited by my father and Marcus…maybe you should have this conversation with them."

"I should have known your father was involved," she huffed, her usually beautiful face scrunched up into a cold mask. "My sister should have sent him away. I am sure he has filled my son's head with glorious stories of battle." She glared at me. "Are you here to compliment Marcus on becoming a murderer before he's even a teenager? You and your dad are a bad influence on him. You are making him into a warmonger!" Ema was livid…and just as upset as I was with my father upon seeing the holovid of Marcus. I can understand why she was upset but the fact that I am being blamed made my blood boil. Before she could continue her tirade I put up a cautioning hand to silence her.

"Stop right there. How dare you blame me for anything Marcus does." I thrust an accusing finger at her. "You robbed me of my right to raise my son, to be part of his life. He didn't even know I existed until he was nine years old. Nine years I lost with my son! And for the last three years my contact with him—my only child—has been severely limited. So don't you dare criticize me for Marcus' behavior."

The fire dimmed in her blue eyes for a microsecond before she went back on a counter attack. "Before you and your father came into his life he never wanted to be a Jedi warrior. He wouldn't have been on that battlefield if it weren't for your father training him. Marcus wants to be a Jedi so he can be just like you."

I shook my head in disgust. "My parents forbade me from participating in dangerous missions until I was eighteen years of age and I am positive they would have done the same for Marcus if possible." I stared at her in annoyance. "If you want somebody to blame, look in a mirror. It was you and your sister that allowed him to train with the seers. Marcus himself told me he went to Ec Pand because of what he saw in the time stream…not because he wanted to impress my dad or me. He did it for the good of the Indupar Crown Worlds. So if you want to blame somebody blame yourself and your all-knowing seers! Why aren't you yelling at them for not stopping him?"

Ema fell silent for a moment before dragging a hand through her long blond hair and sighing deeply. "The seers can't see Marcus in the time stream…you've known that for a while. That's how he was able to stowaway on your ship last year."

I raised an eyebrow. "I knew they couldn't find him sometimes…it is now all the time?"

She nodded slowly. "He's disappeared entirely. They know of his presence after the fact. They knew about the upcoming attack on Ec Pand and had the admirals set up a trap for the Nagai fleet. They knew the ground forces were successful on Ec Pand…but they didn't see Marcus there. They saw the shield coming down, but they thought your father did it through the Force."

I rubbed my hand over my chin in thought. "Do you think Marcus is blocking them?"

She shrugged. "He rarely discusses the subject with me and when he does I suspect he is lying." He eyes went wide as she took a step toward me. "Maybe you can find out. Go to this quarters or office and use your post-cognitive powers to figure out what he is up to."

I took a step back, offended by the suggestion. "I'm not going to spy on my son."

She gave a caustic laugh. "He spies on you! He watches you through the time stream. What's the difference between him looking at your future or you looking into his past?"

I closed my eyes and drew a calming breath. She had a point, but I still didn't like the idea. "The future can change, the past cannot. If he ignores me in the time stream and I died he will be wracked with guilt."

"What if you didn't check on what he did in the past, so you didn't see his plans, and in doing so, you didn't see what idiotic thing that got him killed. Don't you think you would feel guilty also?"

I turned away and paced the room in thought. I stopped and gazed at the floor intently before speaking. "Ema, if he watches me in the time stream then he would know of any plans I had to spy on him. He would simply find a way to counter my snooping. I wouldn't get any useful information and it might result in Marcus never trusting me again." I blew out a deep breath before settling down on the couch. "I want to protect my son, but I'm not going to invade his privacy. I don't want to do anything that would cause resentment and damage my relationship with him."

Her shoulders slumped as she blew out a frustrated breath. "I don't know how your mother tolerates having three Jedi in her family. She must have be a nervous wreck when you were growing up."

I gave a low chuckle. "She knew we were instructed by highly skilled Jedi Masters. Our training has kept us alive. Even if Marcus never picked up a lightsaber again, he would still be a target of assassins. All political leaders are susceptible. A Jedi warrior king is harder to kill." I stood and walked over to Ema, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't send my father away. The skills he has imparted to Marcus might be the only thing keeping our son alive…and not the other way around."

She gave me an exasperated roll of her eyes and a dismissive gesture. "I hate to admit it, but you are probably right. According to your mother, he is as wild and incorrigible as you were at his age. If he is going to be running into danger all the time he might as well be properly trained."

She turned and moved to the exit. She reached for the door latch but stopped and turned back to me. "Talon, I apologize for getting angry at you. You're right. You were cheated out of fatherhood…and for that I am sorry." She then slipped out of my room closing the door behind her.

I walked to my bedroom wearily, wondering if I was making the right decision. I am Marcus' father and he is still a child. Should I use my powers to keep a watchful eye on him? I don't know the answer to that. What I really wanted to do was break into the seers' meditation chamber and see what mischief they are up to. Of course they would see my actions and prevent me from doing so.

I plopped down in my bed wondering if Marcus was allowed into their meditation room. I realized I've never asked him where he did seer training. If Marcus has entered their inner sanctum, then he'd know all their secrets. But, if they prevented my son from entering their headquarters, then they were definitely hiding something. I would feel better if I knew for sure that Marcus was privy to the seers' plans. If he wasn't…well, then maybe the elusive King Marcus should pay a visit to the seers' meditation chamber. They couldn't stop him, because they wouldn't see him coming.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Entry 27_ **

I had breakfast with my parents the next morning. I was sitting across the dining table from my mom and dad, eating breakfast, when my father started to chuckle under his breath. He cut his eggs with the edge of his fork, gave me a furtive glance, and then attempted to stifle a smile.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny, Dad?"

He motioned for me to wait while he tried to swallow a mouthful of food. Once he got the chow down he wiped his beard with his napkin and grinned. "I heard Ema was in your room last night."

My jaw went slack. I really hope he didn't get the wrong impression. "Dad, she just came to talk; don't start any rumors."

He rolled his eyes and snickered before pointing his fork in my direction. "Do you really think I would be in a good mood if I thought you were cheating on your wife?" He shook his head while offering a disbelieving snort. "No, I know you were only talking. I could feel her anger seeping through the Force all the way to our quarters."

My eyes narrowed with irritation. "Then why didn't you come and help me. She was pissed."

My dad bit down on his lower lip to keep from laughing some more. "No way. I have been on the receiving end of her tirades for days. Yesterday was the first time I've had a reprieve."

I rolled my eyes and I went back to my meal. "You could have at least warned me or let her know I was on planet."

My dad shrugged. "She'd still be mad." He sipped some juice and leaned back in his chair. "The _Vazy Princess_ will be here soon. Marcus had his people talk to Karrde and he chartered the freighter to transport some cargo from Indupar, to Coruscant, then to Hapes and finally to Bastion. He is paying twice the going rate."

"Okay," I said guardedly. "Does that mean Marcus wants me gone from the planet?"

My dad nodded. "It's probably for the best."

I gave a slow despondent nod. I had really wanted to stay longer, but with Ema in a foul mood leaving was probably the soundest course of action. "What's the cargo?"

Dad put his hand to his chest and smiled. "Me." He stood and picked up his empty plate and moved it to the kitchen. "Today Marcus sent a group of his representatives to Coruscant to negotiate with Chief-of-State Mokk Streke concerning the recently discovered stygium crystals. He wants me to meet them there and assist." He returned from the kitchen and sat back down. "He said he feared his representatives would be turned away if Streke knew a Jedi was on board. I am going to sneak into the meeting at the last minute. It will be harder for him to turn me away once negotiations are ready to commence."

"Why does Marcus want you there?"

His brow went up slightly. "Because I am one of the few people he truly trusts."

"Plus your dad can use the Force to figure out if Streke is lying," my mother added.

My dad grinned. "That too."

I sighed deeply. "I sort of wanted to spend more time with my son."

My father stood and put a friendly hand on my shoulder. "I know, but I would like to spend some time with my son also."

I looked over to my mother. "Are you coming with us?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm going to stay and make sure Marcus stays out of trouble." She gave my father a knowing look. "Before the Ec Pand incident I told your father Marcus was acting suspiciously, but I was completely ignored because _I'm no Jedi."_

The way my mother said that last sentence indicated this was an issue my parents argued over before. Luckily my father will always admit when he's wrong…especially when it comes to my mother. He gave a shrug of his shoulders and a sheepish grin.

"I should have listened to you, Kira. I guess women's intuition is stronger than the Force."

She laughed as she cleared the table. "And don't you forget it." She looked over to me. "Don't worry. I'll keep Marcus out of trouble while you are doing some male bonding with your father."

I was a little relieved that my mother was staying with my son. If anybody could keep a Force-strong boy out of trouble it was my mother. When my brother Jaden and I were young we always wondered if my mother was Force-sensitive because she always knew when we were up to no good. She's not, though. She simply pays close attention to our actions, tone of voice and body language.

Hopefully she'll keep a close eye on Marcus while we're gone.

.

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**_Entry 28_ **

The _Vazy Princess_ arrived two days later. I met everybody at the palace docking bay and escorted Zylie, Valla and Ben to my quarters where Marcus was waiting for us.

Once the doors were closed Zylie gave my son a big hug. She stepped back and shook her head. "You are just like your father. That vid of you on Ec Pand took a decade off my life."

He blushed slightly. "Sorry to worry you." He motioned us to the sitting area of my guest quarters. "I hope your trip was uneventful."

As we sat down I noticed Valla and Zylie were having a hard time keeping a straight face. "Everything went perfectly. We were able to obtain the large cargo order you requested…but I have to admit, it raised a few eyebrows with some of the merchants."

Marcus' brow furrowed. "I ordered combat-sturdy datapads for my officers."

Zylie laughed. "That was only one thing on your purchase list."

Marcus leaned forward slightly at he gazed at Zylie and Valla in confusion. "I allowed my sergeants to get input from the soldiers that deployed to Ec Pand and determine what they would want as a reward for a job well done. I trusted them to make an appropriate requisition for the men."

Zylie, Valla and Ben all burst out laughing. "You allowed the enlisted men to decide what they wanted?" Zylie shook her head in disbelief. "That explains the two-hundred assorted Kuat pleasure holovids, fifty cases of high-end whiskey, and five hundred boxes of expensive, hand rolled cigaras."

Marcus blanched. "They ordered pleasure holos?" An annoyed expression crossed his face as he slowly stood. "I think I need to have a conversation with my senior noncommissioned officers."

I rose out of my seat with a chuckle, placing a hand on his shoulder "If you give combat soldiers say on what they want…expect them to request what they want." I gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Just tell your men you are going to have their requisitions delivered to their homes…either to their spouses or their mothers." I chuckled as I dropped back down into my seat.

Marcus snorted. "Oh, that's mean, Dad."

"Don't actually do it, just get them panicking."

Marcus smiled. "I guess I have something fun to do tomorrow."

The rest of the day was spent talking and catching up with what's going on with each other's lives. Too much was said to write down in a journal entry. I can say, a good time was had by all.

.

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**_Entry 29_ **

We didn't stay long on Indupar. That's probably for the best. I really didn't want another late night visit by Ema complaining about the delivery of two hundred smutty holovids to the palace. I must admit, I was a little disappointed that I couldn't witness the mayhem a battalion of drunk, horny, cigara smoking ground troopers could rain down on the capital city. Oh well, maybe next time. Ha!

I transferred my StealthX back into the holding bay of the _Vazy Princess_ and then helped my father with his luggage. I put his huge travel bag in our guest cabin, but the long, thin metallic case he brought he carried into the cargo bay. I was a bit confused, so I followed my father. "What's in the case?"

He looked to the carrying case and smiled. "It is a gift for a friend."

I frowned at the cryptic remark. "It looks like a blaster rifle case."

"That is exactly what it is." He moved to the far end of the cargo bay and pushed aside some metallic storage crates, clearing an area. He examined the floor before banging his heel on the metal deck.

"What are you doing, Dad?"

He didn't answer right away. He turned to the wall and examined some external conduits. "I'm looking for the secret storage compartment."

I laughed. "Who do you think we are? Han Solo? We're not smugglers. We don't have secret compartments. Why would you…" Before I could finish my sentence my father pulled or pushed something above a large electrical box causing a loud metallic thump to echo through the cargo hold. I was shocked when a floor panel slid aside revealing a two-cubit-meter hidden compartment. "What the…?"

My dad turned to me confused. "You didn't know about the hidden features of this ship?"

"No." I shook my head. "How did you know?"

My dad hopped down into the storage area and gently placed the blaster case on the floor. He then jumped out and flipped the secret switch to close the hidden chamber. As the floor panel slid shut, he turned and gestured toward the smuggler's compartment. "Karrde and I supervised the renovation of this ship. He thought it wise to have a least one hiding place. After all, the Falcon's hidey-holes are the reason your aunt and uncles are alive today."

"Okay," I said slowly as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I just have a few questions." I dropped my hand and looked my father in the eye. "Why didn't I know about this supposedly lifesaving hideaway and why do you feel the need to stash away a blaster?"

My father ran his fingers through his beard in thought. "I don't know why you weren't told. I thought you knew. As for the blaster, I am going to a planet where the chief-of-state distrusts Jedi. I don't want customs finding a sniper blaster rifle with long-range scope in my cabin and start asking questions. But don't worry, it's legal."

I started to get an eerie feeling about my dad's explanation. "You said it is a gift for somebody…who?"

"Deke."

"Deke…as in your old Jump School buddy, Deke? The commander of Tenel Ka's personal bodyguards, Deke?"

Dad smiled. "Yeah, Deke Tavik. He said he has some really interesting information he will trade for the antique sniper blaster rifle that I foolishly mentioned owning while in his presence."

My eyes narrowed slightly. "And isn't Deke the person you disappeared with for almost two weeks shortly after Jacen's brush with the darkside. And after those two weeks you returned to Coruscant and retired from the Jedi Order with no explanation. It's that Deke, right?"

My dad frowned deeply, leaned in and whispered to me. "Drop it." He stepped back and gazed at me sadly. "I know you have your suspicions about Jacen's involvement with Lumiya and my actions in the aftermath of her death." He pulled in a deep breath and let it out. "All I can say is…whatever awful thing you suspect…you're probably right…and nothing good will come from you knowing the details. So please, drop it."

My father's words, along with the sad tone of his voice, shook me to the core. My throat tightened as I tried to form a response. "Okay dad. I trust you did what was best for all involved."

He forced a smile on his face. "It was for the best."

He gazed at me affectionately before turning on his heel and exiting the cargo area.

As I watched him walk away I couldn't help but feel sorry for my father. All his life he was forced to keep secrets. After the Emperor Reborn attempted to possess his body my father became the unwilling recipient of Palpatine's memories. All that dark knowledge he has kept secret for decades. Now he is the keeper of Jacen's memories. My cousin's memory wipe, performed by my father, ensured Jacen didn't remember his fall from the light. Jacen doesn't remember...but my father saw what was in Jacen's thoughts. These memories are my dad's burden.

Part of me wants to know the truth, but the other part knows my dad is right. Nothing good will come from knowing the details.

.

.

**_Entry 30_ **

When I told Zylie about the secret compartment she didn't believe me. I had to show her. It took me a few minutes, but I located the entry switch and opened up the compartment. She stared at it in disbelief. "Why didn't my father tell me about this?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Why not ask him yourself? He's your father. My dad thought we were already told."

"I will." Zylie marched down the corridor, past the galley where my father was having a snack and to the flight deck where she asked Valla and Ben if they knew about the secret compartment, which they didn't. They also didn't believe it and had to see it themselves. The ladies then went back to the cockpit and called their father. Ben and I crowded in behind them, wanting to see what our father-in-law had to say about this.

"Dad, why didn't you tell us about the smuggling compartment in our ship's cargo area?" Valla asked her father impatiently.

Karrde looked a bit sheepish. "To be honest, I had second thoughts about it after having it installed." Karrde ran his fingers through his beard and sighed. "I was a smuggler and it was instinct for me to have that added, but then I thought you and your sister would see it as an invitation to smuggle and I didn't want you to get involved in that type of life. Especially when you have Jedi husbands."

Valla rolled her eyes and blew out a breath. "Dad, you could have told us about it and then forbid us from using it for smuggling."

Karrde chuckled. "That's like handing a teenage boy a condom and then telling him not to have sex. There is an implied permission." He threw up his hands in a gesture of defeat. "But you know about it now, so I will tell you…don't smuggle."

Zylie made a scoffing noise. "Too late, Talon's dad is smuggling weapons in it."

Karrde's brow furrowed. "What?"

I shook my head adamantly. "He's not smuggling. He's transporting a legal weapon to Hapes, but we're stopping at Coruscant first. If we're randomly searched by customs he doesn't want it found because the Chief-of-State thinks the Jedi are out to get him."

Karrde gave a snort. "I am sure if the Jedi were out to get him…they would have got him by now." He shook his head with a chuckle. "He's delusional."

Valla's eyes narrow as she regarded her father. "Is there any other surprises on the ship that we should know about…any other secrets that you had second thoughts about?"

Karrde averted his eyes. "No."

"Daddy…" Zylie said in her _'I know you are lying'_ voice.

Karrde shrugged. "There are three more small partitions. In the three cabins there is a hidden compartment for a blaster in the bedside tables."

"Thank you, Daddy," Zylie said in an overly cheerful voice before her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why didn't you tell us about those hidden compartments? Those could come in handy."

Her dad sighed deeply as he looked to something or someone to his side. "Those blaster compartments can't be locked. Your mother and I didn't want you to forget that there was a blaster there and then some child gets ahold of the weapon."

"What?" I interrupted. The only child that has ever been on this ship has been my son. As far as I know, Karrde was never told about Marcus. "What child are you talking about?"

At that point Zylie's mother, Zara, crowded into the viewing area to address that question. "We were hoping to have grandchildren sometime in the future."

Karrde blushed slightly at his wife's comment, but then gave a nod. "I am in my seventies and not getting any younger."

I put my arm around Zylie and smirked. "I'll start working on that right away, sir."

Zylie gave me an evil look as she gave my hand resting on her hip a slap. "Knock it off."

I grabbed my wife around the waist and started pulling her toward the door. "No time to waste. Let's get to baby making."

Karrde snickered. "You don't need to get on that mission right this minute, but sometime in my lifetime would be nice." He pointed at the screen. "Just don't smuggle. It's not a life for my girls."

"Got it. No smuggling," I said teasingly as I pulled Zylie out of the cockpit and down the corridor toward our cabin. As we passed through the galley my father raised and eyebrow and smirked. "What's this all about?"

I smiled broadly. "I'm dragging Zylie to our cabin so I can check out her hidden compartment."

"Talon!" Zylie screeched in embarrassment.

My father obviously knew what I was talking about because he said "There is a trick to getting it open. Let me know if you need help."

I gave him a mock look of shock. "Dad, what would mother say?"

My dad blushed as he shook his head. "She'd say she'd like a grandchild from Zylie…so get working. But if you do need help finding the quick release latch to the blaster compartment let me know."

By then Zylie had broken free from me and ran to the cabin. I glanced over to my father. "I think I can figure out how to get into it."

After a half hour trying to first locate and then open the compartment I finally had to get my father to help me…but later that evening I did get to work on the baby-making mission. HA!

.

.

**_Entry 31_ **

A few days later, late in the sleep cycle, we arrived on Coruscant. My father had said he didn't have to meet the Indupar delegation until 0900 and the conference with the Chief-of-State wasn't scheduled to occur until 1300 hours, so we didn't bother waking anybody.

Ben and I docked the freighter and then wandered off to our respective cabins to get some sleep. I woke early in the morning to get breakfast started and found Ben already awake and drinking caf. "Why are you up so early?"

He sipped his caf and shrugged. "Your father left the ship about a half hour ago. I woke when I heard the ship boarding ramp clunk when returning to the locked position. We need to check that out. It goes down silently but coming up it makes a loud bang. I think there is something wrong with the locking mechanism."

I looked at my wristchrono. "It's 0700. He's not supposed to meet anybody for another two hours." I went to the galley cabinet and grabbed my caf mug. "That's weird. He never leaves without saying goodbye."

Ben looked unconcerned. "Maybe he had an errand to run before meeting with the delegation."

I filled up my cup and took a sip while deep in thought. "He didn't mention any errand. Why did he sneak off…?" I stopped in mid-sentence and thought about that sniper blaster rifle he made sure was safely hidden from the Coruscant security and customs services. "He didn't take the blaster rifle did he?" As I said the words the ridiculousness of my comment hit me, but at the same time a sense of dread ran down my spine. Maybe the Seers saw something. If they saw that the Chief-of-State was a danger to my son, would my dad go off and kill the man? I didn't think it was possible. No, I knew it wasn't possible. I shouldn't think of such things. My father is no killer. But then I realized that isn't true. My father has a confirmed death count that probably rose to the hundreds or thousands. If you consider the destruction of Byss it might be in the millions. Still, there is a big difference between killing in combat and assassinating people.

"Why do you want to know about the blaster?" Ben asked then shook his head incredulously. "Do you really think he may have snuck off to kill somebody?"

I gave a noncommittal shrug of my shoulders. "No."

Ben put his mug down on the counter. "You do too." He walked down the corridor toward the cargo bay. "I know you. You're going to be all nervous and upset until you see that blaster."

I followed behind my cousin. "No, I won't."

He blew out a breath. "Yes you will." We entered the cargo area and walked to the location of the hidden compartment. Ben reached up above the electrical panel and activated the hatch release. "I'll show you the blaster and then you can relax."

I was going to argue that I didn't need to see it, but in reality I wanted some relief from my worries. When the smuggling compartment was revealed I was relieved to see the rifle case in the exact location my father left it. Ben jumped down into the cubicle. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He looked up to me. "I'm going to show you the weapon."

I squatted down at the edge of the opening. "That's not necessary."

Ben rolled his eyes. "If we leave now you'll dwell on the possibility that the blaster wasn't inside."

Ben knelt down next to the carrying case, flicked open the locks and opened the container. When I saw the blaster rifle I let out a deep sigh of relief.

"What's going on?" came a voice from behind me. I turned to find my father standing about a meter behind me, holding a box of pastries while munching on a fried dough ball covered with powdered sugar. I was so startled by my father's appearance that I lost my balance and fell into the smuggler's hold, landing on my cousin.

Ben yelped as I fell on his back. "Dammit Talon, what is with you falling on me?" He detangled himself and then noticed my father looking down at us. "Oh. Hi, Uncle Mark." He struggled to his feet and helped me up. "We were just checking out the storage compartment. What are you up to?"

My dad sat down on the edge of the opening, his legs hanging over the side while holding up the box of pastries. "I was getting something for breakfast." He looked to Ben, me and then to the blaster case before a expression of disappointment crossed his face. "You were checking to see if I took my blaster, weren't you?"

"No," I muttered while Ben simultaneously said, "Yes."

My dad shook his head sadly. "I'm disappointed in you two."

I grabbed onto the edge of the opening and pulled myself out of the container before reaching down and helping Ben up. "I'm sorry Dad. Ben never had any doubts. He was just trying to ease my worries. I am sorry that I would even consider that you would assassinate anyone."

I was surprised when my father made a scoffing sound. "That's not why I'm disappointed. If I needed to assassinate a person I would. What I wouldn't do is involve you two and your wives. If I were intent on killing somebody I would rent a private ship with untraceable credits, use a fake transponder and alter my facial features. I wouldn't catch a ride with my son, nephew and their brides. Do you think I'm an idiot?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed it not knowing what to say. The way he listed off his assassination how-to list was disturbing. My dad must have sensed my discomfort because he just laughed and gave me a good-natured slap on the back. "Don't worry. The last time I was on an assassination mission it was to slay the Emperor Reborn and I didn't even get to do the deed. The kill went to Karrde." He stood and then pulled me to my feet. "Come on let's eat."

Somehow my father's words didn't bring much comfort. The ease in which he described how he would sneak onto a planet was disconcerting at the very least. I wonder if the Seers have sent my father on clandestine missions in the past? I would ask my dad, but I felt bad enough about being caught checking up on him. Perhaps I'll ask him on another day.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Entry 32_ **

An hour later I crossed paths with my dad leaving his cabin dressed in his gaudy blue and gold uniform. It was the same one he wore on Indupar, but this time his dark trousers were tucked into highly polished, leather, knee high jackboots. On his head was a dark blue shako topped with a golden plum. For civilians not familiar with this type of headgear, it basically looks like he's wearing a bucket on his head, except it has a short brimmed visor and it's garnished with feathers. I noticed he wasn't wearing his gold-plated blaster or lightsaber today. I guess he doesn't want to make Mokk Streke nervous. He gave me a wave of his hand as he slung a small backpack over his shoulder. "How do I look?"

I literally bit my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing at his outfit. I wanted to tell him he looked ridiculous, but instead said. "Great." I didn't want any follow up questions on his outlandish outfit, so I changed the subject by making an innocuous query. "What's in the pack?"

My father grinned mischievously. "Thermal detonators. I plan to blow up the senate."

I shook my head with a grimace. "Not funny Dad. I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I? I'm sorry I was apprehensive about the sniper blaster."

A big bearded smile crossed his face as he gave me a good-natured smack on the shoulder. "Sorry, I can't help teasing you. You're so suspicious of everyone and everything."

My mouth drew into a hard line as I glared at my father. "No, I'm not suspicious of everything!" I protested. "Kriff it, Dad! You can't give me your enigmatic _"Drop it"_ speech that hints of possible nefarious things you may or may not have done with your friend Deke and then get upset when I get a bit paranoid when you hide a long-range sniper blaster on my ship."

My father's smile slipped from his face as he gave a nod his head. "You're right. I've been secretive." He put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. "If it makes you feel better, when I left with Deke…I didn't kill anyone. I simply got rid of some incriminating computer records."

I sighed deeply. "How incriminating?"

"Let's just say if the information got out it would devastate the Jedi and our entire family." He looked away. "I think you know what I'm hiding. You're a good guesser…or maybe you used your post-cognitive powers to figure it out."

"No, I didn't use the Force." I dropped my head into my hand and groaned. I suspected Jacen was involved in the Hapan plague that killed off a number of Tenel Ka's murderous and conniving relatives and now Dad was all but confirming my belief. I looked up to my father and realized he appeared apprehensive about my response. I gave a curt nod of my head and a forced smile. "I hope you and Deke did a thorough job."

"We did." He glanced at the backpack strap he held in his hand. "It's a change of clothing. I don't want to be in this starched uniform all day." He stepped forward and gave me a hug. "I shouldn't joke about such things. I'm sorry that I hid the truth from you, but nothing good would have come from you knowing."

I returned the hug and then stepped back and smiled. "Let's change the subject. What are you going to ask from Streke in exchange for the crystals?"

He gave me a big, toothy grin. "Coruscant's Delta Reserve Fleet and some credits to refurbish them. They hold no tactical value to the planet. They're already decommissioned and scheduled for disposal within the next five to ten years."

I gave a slight nod of my head as I tried to remember the specifications of that fleet. "How many ships does that armada have?"

"Two hundred total, although most are X-wings, small Carrack-Class cruisers and Strike-Class medium cruisers. Our intelligence sources say there are at least seven Star Destroyers."

I gave out a slow whistle. "Damn, Dad! Are you planning on going to war?"

Dad shrugged a shoulder. "We're already at war with the Nagai. And there are probably other systems that might want to steal the crystals from us."

I looked at him glumly. "Did the seers see a need for such a massive navy?"

My dad made an _"I don't know"_ gesture. "Marcus talked about the potential job opportunities for his people. Refurbishing the fleet would bring in probably a million jobs and then he would have to hire people to serve as crew. He never mentioned it's tactical advantage, just the economic."

I blew out a breath. "That's good to know." I reached out and gave my father's shoulder a squeeze. "Good luck and may the Force be with you."

He smiled widely. "It always is."

.

.

**_Entry 33_ **

Zylie and I decided to spend some of our free time with my brother and his family, so we arranged to have lunch at Jaden's quarters at noon. When Zylie and I arrived my four-year-old niece, Jessa, greeted us at the door. "Uncle Talon!" she yelled while jumping up-and-down in front of me, arms upraised and begging to be picked up. I reached down and scooped up the four-year-old child. "Whoa, Jessa, you're getting big. Pretty soon I won't be able to pick you up any more." She just giggled and kissed me on the cheek. "I missed you and Aunt Zylie."

"I missed you too." I gave her a kiss on the cheek before setting her back on the ground so I could greet my brother and his wife Jysella. I gave Jaden a hug and then kissed Jysella on the cheek. "How's everything going on Coruscant?"

"Well, life here isn't as exciting as it is on Ec Pand," Jaden said before cocking his head to scrutinize my hair. "I'm surprised you don't have any grey hairs yet, Brother. Jysella and I caught Marcus' performance on the holonet. I'm surprised dad didn't have a heart attack."

"I just about had a heart attack." I made a face and threw my hands up in the air. "You're lucky you have a girl."

"Oh, I'm sure Jessa will be giving me conniptions in no time." Jaden turned his attention to Zylie giving her a brotherly hug and kiss before leading us into the living room. "I hope you guys can stay a while." He motioned for us to sit.

"It's going to depend on how quickly negotiation go for Dad and Streke," I said as Zylie and I relaxed on my brother's couch. Jaden and Jysella settled down across from us on a matching love seat.

"That may take forever," my brother said with a smirk. "Streke isn't the most reasonable politician in the galaxy."

At that moment Jessa ran up to her father and jumped onto his lap. My brother cringed as a fifteen kilogram child landed on his groin. "Ohhh, Jessa, you're not a baby anymore." He stood, placing the dark-haired little girl on the floor and pointing to her bedroom. "Why don't you go play with your dolls in your room while the grown-ups talk."

Jessa looked at Zylie and me apprehensively. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"No, we'll be here for a while." I gestured towards her room. "Go on and play. We'll see you in a little for lunch."

As soon as she ran off Jaden doubled over while clutching his crotch. "She's got to break that habit before I am rendered sterile."

"Oh," Jysella said suddenly. "That reminds me." She turned to Jaden. "You were going to ask him…about…you know."

My brother looked confused for a second but then his expression turned to one of comprehension. "Oh, yeah, yeah." He sat down on the couch before leaning forward and looking at me expectantly. He started to say something but then stopped and started laughing. He turned to his wife. "No, I can't ask him. You ask him."

Jysella shook her head. "You need it, so you ask."

I looked between the two in confusion. "Listen guys, we're family. Anything you need, just ask."

Jaden chuckled under his breath and blushed. "We were wondering if I could get a sperm sample from you."

"What?" Zylie gasped in disbelief. She gazed at my brother. "Did something happen and you no longer can have children?"

I put my hands up in the air. "Wait! I don't know if I'm up for that."

Jaden made a halting gesture. "No, no, no. I definitely do not want you fathering any of my children. I didn't get kneed in the groin that hard." He started to explain but started laughing. He turned back to Jysella. "I told you this would be a difficult topic to broach."

She waved him off impatiently and turned back to me. "Jaden is researching Force heritability and is currently checking midichlorians counts in sperm. He is quietly asking for male volunteers of various Force abilities."

My eyes went wide as a broad grin split my face realizing my brother had a breakthrough in his medical research. "You found them! You isolated midichlorians. I knew you could do it." When I noticed my brother wasn't smiling I asked, "What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "I didn't discover them. Another scientist did—Doctor J'Shan. He's a renowned geneticist, pathologist and virologist working for the Galactic Alliance Institute of Health. He discovered our elusive midichlorians. I'm now researching heritability."

Zylie looked to him sadly. "Sorry Jaden. I know how much effort you put into that research."

"Wait," I said slowly, somewhat puzzled. "Why is a government institute researching Midichlorians? And how did they even know of their existence? We only knew about them because of the memories dad acquired when the Emperor Reborn temporarily possessed his body. I thought only the top Jedi knew about their existence."

"One can never suppress knowledge fully." My brother ran a hand through his dark brown hair and sighed. "When I saw Dr. J'Shan's published paper on the subject I immediately contacted him. He said he was given a government grant to find the source of Force powers. He came upon the name midichlorians in his research and decided to maintain the original name if he ever located them in the human body."

"Who gave him a government grant?" I asked nervously.

My brother gave me a knowing look. "I'll give you one guess."

"Mokk Streke," Zylie and I said simultaneously.

My brother nodded. "I became so nervous about the funding source that I volunteered to assist Doctor J'Shan so I can keep an eye on him."

I started to get a sick feeling in my stomach. "Does Uncle Luke know?"

"Yes," my brother said with a nod. "He's the one that suggested I work with the doctor. At this time the Dr. J'Shan doesn't appear to know the purpose for the research grant, he just finds the topic fascinating. I think he is totally oblivious to Streke's anti-Jedi sentiments."

I shifted in my seat. "Why do you think Streke is having the research done?"

Jaden ran a hand over his chin and stared at the ceiling in thought. "My best guess is he wants to find out how to render midichlorian's inactive."

I sucked in a breath. "You think he is going to attack the Jedi Order? Infect us with a virus to kill off our midichlorians?"

Jysella shook her head. "I have a hard time believing the Chief-of-State would go that far. I think he wants to neutralize the ever-increasing Force-sensitive criminal population."

Jaden nodded in agreement. "Unless a Force-sensitive criminal commits a horrific crime like murder, he's going to be out on the street again one day. I think Streke wants to make sure he is forever cut off from the Force. So far Dr. J'Shan hasn't mentioned trying to figure out how to eradicate or attenuate these midichlorians organelles and hopefully he'll never attempt that discovery. I temporarily got him sidetracked researching how they are passed from parent to child. To keep him on that path I need to provide him with something to research, hence the sperm sample. Midichlorians are located in sperm along side of mitochondria. In fact they are just as ubiquitous as mitochondria and found in all cells except erythrocytes. They have their own genetic code like mitochondria and they look so much like them that I overlooked the organelle until the difference was pointed out by Dr. J'Shan. They were hiding in plain sight."

"But what is confusing is why the paternal midichlorian genes are passed on from the father, but they aren't in mitochondria," Jysella added. "It could be the regulatory protein that is found in the female ovum that is tasked to target and destroy male mitochondrial DNA upon conception doesn't work against midichorlian DNA."

"Ah ha," I muttered sagely, like I actually understood what was said. We all fell into a contemplative silence until Jaden slapped his hands together and said, "I'm hungry. Let's eat."

I had to shake my head. I don't know how my brother could be so trusting of this doctor and the intentions of the Chief-of-State. Maybe dad's right; I'm too suspicious of everyone and everything.

.

.

**_Entry 34_ **

My father came back to the ship late that night. I was surprised that he didn't stay at the hotel with his delegation, but he just shook his head and mumbled something about not wanting to spend a second longer with politicians than absolutely necessary…and then he begged me not to tell my Aunt Leia he said that.

"How did the negotiations go?" I asked as he poured himself a cup of caf in the ship galley. He scooted into the dining table booth seat and frowned. "Do you have any whiskey?"

"That bad, huh?" I slide into the seat across from him assuming my non-drinking father's request for alcohol was in jest. "What happened?"

He smirked. "Streke was not happy to see me, but since I have an official court position on the King's Counsel he really can't turn me away without causing a diplomatic incident. I could tell he was nervous about me being a Jedi. I'm surprised he didn't wear a metallic foil hat to keep my evil Jedi mind-tricks from boring into his tiny brain." He looked up from his cup and gave me a questioning look. "Why aren't you and Zylie staying with your brother and his family?"

I gave a noncommittal shrug. "I prefer some privacy."

My dad guffawed. "Is having a hyperactive four-year-old around a little too much for you?"

"Nah, that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

"Zylie looks sad when she sees Jessa. I think she wants a child, but at the same time this really isn't a good time for us to start a family. Her and Valla have the Karrde family business to watch over, Ben and I have Jedi missions, Marcus is off decapitating foreign generals…I don't know…it's just a difficult time, but I know she's wondering if there will ever be a right time."

My father gave me a warm smile. "I'll happen…probably sooner than later." He took a sip of his drink and gazed at me affectionately. "She knows you want another child, doesn't she? She doesn't believe you are satisfied with Marcus, does she?"

I nodded. "She knows. I've said I would give up everything for her. I'd leave the Jedi if she wanted to start a family."

My father looked down at his cup and gave a soft smile. "You are a good father. I know it has been difficult for you being away from Marcus, but I want you to know that Marcus knows how much you love him and how desperately you wanted to be a full time father to him." He glanced up to look me in the eyes. "I tell him stories about your childhood all the time and show him holos of you. I know it is not as good as being there with him, but it's the best I can do for now. I predict you will have more time with him now that he is King. If I can talk the Chief-of-State to part with his decommissioned fleet then Marcus will cement his place within Indupar as the most popular leader in the planet's history. He is doing amazing things for his people. Soon nobody will care if it is discovered he's not the true heir."

"Do you think Streke will give you the fleet?"

My dad grinned. "Oh course he will. He's not wearing his metallic foil hat to these negotiations."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You're bad." I stopped and gave him a questioning gaze. "You're not doing mind-tricks on him, are you?"

Dad frowned. "Talon, I'm shocked that you would say such a thing."

For the second time this week I deeply regretted my insensitive comments. "I'm sorry dad, it's just you are always joking and…"

"He would have to possess a functioning mind for a Jedi-mind trick to work," my father interrupted with a laugh. "I would have better luck doing a mind-trick on a rock."

I leaned over the table and smacked my father in the shoulder. "Stop teasing me!"

A scream coming down from the corridor interrupted my father's laughter. "Talon!" I could hear Zylie frantically calling me. "Come to the cargo bay! Quick!"

My dad and I looked to each other before we jumped from our seats and ran down the corridor to the cargo area where we found Zylie sitting on the metallic deck and cradling the head of her pet Vornskr. Princess was panting heavily, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Zylie looked up to me wide-eyed. "She's in labor. We need to find her a comfortable place to have her pups."

"What do you need?" my father asked.

"There are some old blankets in the corridor closet. Find a medium size cargo box, take off the lid and turn it on its side so she will feel safe inside. They like to give birth in small caves or burrows they excavate."

My father turned to me. "You get the blankets and I'll get a box."

The next hour was spent getting a nice birthing area set up for my wife's very pregnant and highly irritable pet. I was surprised that I didn't get bit once, but that wasn't for the lack of trying. She snapped at me twice, but luckily my Jedi reflexes saved me.

The last time she lunged at me my dad chuckled and then bravely reached out and patted the top of Princess' head. "She really doesn't like you, does she?"

"Gee, Dad, what gave you that idea?" I held up my arm where the faint scars from her last attack can still be seen. "She's a Force-hunting predator and I am her favorite prey."

My father scoffed. "She doesn't like you because you don't like her. Animals can sense these things."

"Well, it's not going to change anytime soon." I finished setting up the box and blankets and allowed Zylie to move the psychotic animal into her new birthing quarters. "When she starts acting a little nicer to me," I said to my dad. "Maybe my attitude will change."

I left Zylie to baby her pet vornskr. I can tell you now, I am **_not_** looking forward to having a cargo bay fully of baby vornskrs.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Entry 35_ **

I thought once a vornskr went into labor the babies would pop out within minutes, but eighteen hours later we were still waiting. Zylie said the longest she has ever waited was twenty-two hours, but she has heard of vornskrs going two or three days from the start of labor until delivery. So now I am stuck on a ship waiting for Princess to push out a half dozen or so Jedi-hating baby vornskrs. That's just great. The Skywalkers invited us to having dinner with them. Dad went, but we had to decline because there was no way Zylie would leave Princess while she was so near to giving birth.

It wasn't until after dinnertime that Zylie ran from the cargo bay all excited. "She had her babies! She has seven pups. It's the largest litter I've seen."

"Oh wonderful," I said with mock enthusiasm.

I guess my sarcasm wasn't lost on Zylie because she frowned and lightly smacked me on the shoulder. "Knock it off." She then grabbed my hand and dragged me into the cargo area. "Come on and see them. They have really pretty markings."

As soon as I got about three meters from Princess she started growling. I stopped and shook my head. "She's not going to let me get near her babies, Zylie."

She gave my arm a tug. "Yes she will, if I'm with you. You don't have to get too close to see them."

I made a very vocal sigh before slowly approaching the beast. There, suckling on Princess' teats was a mass of squirming fur with pink whip like tails. They were pushing each other and fighting for position all the while squeaking like baby pittins. I have to admit, they are cute…when they're young.

Most were dark brown, but a couple had light reddish stripes giving them the look of a Ralitir tiger. I noticed one tiger-striped pup was much smaller than the others and was having a hard time finding a teat. I pointed to the runt. "That guy is struggling to get food."

Zylie looked at the animal sadly. "He's unfortunate to be the runt in a litter of seven when a vornskr only has six teats. He probably won't survive."

I looked at her incredulously. "When the others are done eating, can't he eat?"

She shook her head. "Vornskr mothers are strange. They often will push away the runt and let him die. It is believed it is a survival mechanism. Her body can barely nourish six pups, the seventh or eighth could jeopardize the entire litter. Sorry, but that little guy probably won't make it."

I went slack jawed at that comment. Zylie has such a soft spot for these creatures but she seems perfectly content to let one of the babies die. "Can't you hand feed him?"

She shook her head. "My father and I had tried with some of his vornskr litters, but the rejected pups don't thrive. It just prolongs the inevitable."

I looked down at the tiny mewing pub desperately trying to squeeze in past his or her siblings to get nourishment, but his brothers and sisters pushed him away with their paws.

"Zylie, I can't believe you are going to just watch him die because you couldn't help a few pups in the past."

She put her hands on her hips and glowered at me. "Talon, it's not just that I couldn't do it. _Nobody_ has ever done it. Believe me, I researched this. It has never been successfully achieved."

I shook my head. "How many documented cases of vornskr hand feedings can there be? They are not a common species. There has to be something that hasn't been tried."

"True, but if it hasn't been tried it is because nobody has thought of it yet." She leaned into me and put her head on my shoulder. "Talon, it's sweet that you want to help, but I don't want you to be disappointed."

"This just doesn't seem right…you know, letting him starve to death." I turned to Zylie. "I'd like to try helping the little guy. Maybe I can use the Force to help me do it. At least we'd know we tried."

A wide smiled crossed Zylie's face and I was fairly sure she was getting all misty eyed. "Talon, I knew you had a soft spot for Vornskrs. I'll go into town later and get the ingredients to make the milk formula." She stood on her toes and kissed me on the cheek. "You're so sweet."

"Yeah, I know." Damn it! Why do vornskr pups have to look _so_ cute? "But as soon as this guy is strong enough to feed himself he is out of here along with his brothers and sisters," I said adamantly. "One vornskr is enough. In fact, it's one too many on this ship."

.

.

**_Entry 36_ **

The next day Zylie purchased the ingredients to make Vornskr milk substitute: evaporated blue milk, a carton of egg yokes, salad oil, and honey.

I grinned at her. "Is this for the pup or did you decided to start cooking me breakfast?"

"Only if you want to be fed substitute mother's milk." She smiled at me brightly. "Vornskr milk is high in fat, protein and natural sugars." She gave me her _'I know what I am doing'_ look and began mixing ingredients. When she was done she pulled out a package that said 'Pet Nursing Kit'. "These are for pittins, but they should work for the pup until he gets bigger and then I guess we can use a human baby bottle. I'm not sure if it will work though, since I never had an abandoned baby vornskr last more than a week." Her expression saddened as she filled up the bottle. "Talon, don't get your hopes up. I think it's wonderful that you want to save the pup, but realize…" She trailed off not wanting to make the news grimmer than it already was. "Just don't get too attached."

She screwed the top onto the bottle and moved toward the cargo area. "Come on, I'll get the runt from Princess."

"Okay." I stood at the doorway of the cargo area while Zylie walked toward her vornskr, but stopped and then turned around. "I'll be back. I forgot something." She gave me a warning glare. "Don't try to get him on your own unless you want Princess having a Jedi snack."

"Yeah, I know. Princess and I are never going to be buddies."

Zylie left me in the cargo area alone with my arch enemy vornskr. I was across the cargo bay from the beast, but she raised her head, bared her teeth and growled at me.

I wagged my finger at her. "Don't get started with me, Princess. I'm not the one abandoning my own flesh and blood because he is too small." I crossed my arms across my chest and was waiting for my wife to return when I heard a soft mewing noise coming from the corner of the cargo bay. Keeping my eye on Princess I moved in the direction of the pitiful mournful cry. In a dark corner, I could hear moment coming from between a couple cargo boxes. I reached to my belt and pulled out my glowrod and activated it. There, shivering on the floor was the little runt. He was trembling so badly that he looked like he was near death. I turned around and glared at Princess. "You are a very bad mother!" I returned my attention to the little pup, stretching my arm down in between the cargo containers until I could feel the pup's soft fur between my fingers. As I grasped the little guy around his torso I felt a sharp pain in my hand followed by a burning sensation.

"ARRRGGGGGHHHH!"

I pulled my hand out and discovered the runt had whipped his barbed tail around in a defensive manner and buried his stinger in the webbed skin between my thumb and index finger. The pup was still attached to my hand, hanging by his tail, and squealing hysterically. My first instinct was to shake my hand to dislodge the barb, but realized that might kill the animal. I instead reached up with my uninjured hand and grabbed the pub so he didn't get his tail pulled off during my struggle to dislodge him from my flesh. "Zylie!"

Zylie rushed into the cargo hold with a feeding bottle in one hand and a pair of leather gloves in the other. "Talon, you need leather gloves when picking up the un-bobbed pups."

"Now you tell me," I said through gritted teeth. "Crap this hurts. Get him off me!"

Zylie quickly interceded and grabbed the little guy under his belly with one hand and grasping the end of his tail between the thumb and finger of her other.

She grimaced. "Do you want me to pull it out or 2-1B?"

"Get it out!"

"Okay, on three. One…" She never got to three but yanked the barb out immediately.

"Owww!" I pinched the punctured skin in an attempt to quell the bleeding. "Damn! I forgot those things have barbed tails."

An apologetic smile crossed my wife's face. "That's why we bob their tails when they are little. It makes them safer to be around and it dampens down their aggression." She looked at my hand. "How does it feel?"

I blew out a breath as I started to feel a little lightheaded. "I guess all this excitement has me feeling a little faint."

Zylie grimaced. "That might be the poison working."

"Poison! Oh, no, that's right." I don't know how I forgot about the barbed tails _and_ that their stinger was poisonous. "Well, I guess it is good that he's a baby. Probably not much poison in him."

Zylie made a face. "Umm…not really. The venom of baby vornskr is much more concentrated than the adults."

I looked at Zylie wide-eyed as my arm began to tingle and then eventually went numb. "Get 2-1B to give me the anti-venom."

Zylie shook her head. "There's no antidote. You'll just have to ride it out."

"Ride it out! Is this going to kill me?"

She rolled her eyes as she guided me to the ship's infirmary. "Do you really think I would look this calm if I thought I was about to become a widow? The venom is paralytic, but don't worry it won't affect your heart. Your voluntary muscles will get weak. You'll be wobbly on your feet for a few hours." She turned and gave me a contrite look. "Oh, you may not want to get far from the 'fresher. It can cause loss of bowel control."

"What!" I pointed to the vornskr pup Zylie held. "I am reconsidering feeding you." I would have said more but I had to get to the 'fresher before I lost all muscle control. "I'm naming him Kriffer!" I yelled back to my wife as I disappeared into the 'fresher.

.

.

**_Entry 37_ **

I stayed in the 'fresher for about an hour. Eventually the feeling in my arm and hand returned and I no longer experienced an urgent need to sit on the toilet.

I exited the 'fresher to find my wife in the galley trying to feed the pup. The little vornskr was lying on a small hand towel on the dining table as Zylie sat in front of him trying to get him to take the bottle. I did notice the creature no longer had a tail. "You did surgery on him?"

"No, not surgery. I just clipped it off with some scissors."

My face contorted in disbelief. "Owww! The poor little guy."

Zylie chuckled. "You mean Kriffer. You know, the animal that punctured your skin and injected venom? Do you mean that poor little guy?"

I frowned. "You didn't need to hurt him. He was just acting on instinct."

Zylie sighed. "Talon, my father has been raising these animals all my life. The nerves in the tail aren't fully formed until a few weeks after birth. He didn't even make a squeak."

I let out a relieved breath. "Good."

Zylie smiled. "I knew vornskrs would grow on you. They are _so_ cute when they are little."

I begrudgingly had to admit that was true. "Vornskrs aren't growing on me. It's just…he's a baby and a runt. It doesn't seem right to let him die without trying to help him."

"I think that is sweet, Talon." She stood and held out the bottle to me. "Maybe you'll have better luck with him."

I took the bottle and slid into the seat in front of the baby. I tried to guide the bottle's nipple into his mouth but he kept turning his head away. After about ten minutes of trying I decided to take a break. I found a small box and put in a few hand towels for the pup to sleep on and put it on the floor of my cabin.

I looked at my wounded hand and shook my head. The only good thing was my father, Ben and Valla were not here to watch my misadventure. I would never hear the end of it if they did.

.

.

**_Entry 38_ **

My father and the Indupar envoys are still negotiating with the Chief-of-State. Dad said Streke is trying to gain control of the crystals for next to nothing by offering Indupar protection from foreign invaders such as the Nagi. My father said he pointed out that they had no difficulty destroying the Nagi fleet and the boy King himself killed the enemy's general.

"I told him he could think about the deal we proposed and I would get back to him after my travels to Hapes and then Bastille." My father chuckled. "You should have seen him. His face turned bright red and he said, ' _Are you threatening to sell the crystals to the Hapan government or the Empire!'_ " My father grinned widely as he told his tale. "I told him I was planning to do no such thing. I simply want to visit my family. I reminded him my nephew is the Hapan Queen's Consort and my niece is the Empress of the Imperial Remnant."

"I'm sure that really eased his concerns," I said sarcastically as my dad and I walked.

I met my dad for lunch and afterwards we decided to stroll through _'Heroes Park'_ a newly established outdoor shrine to honor the heroes of the Rebellion and subsequent conflicts. Dad wanted to see the Luke Skywalker statue that was erected. We've seen holos of the sculpture, but were told it is more impressive in person. My dad pointed to the towering granite statue at the center of the park. "There it is."

I have to admit, it looks impressive. It had Uncle Luke in his Rebel flight uniform and holding an activated lightsaber. It was supposedly represented his actions on Hoth after his T-47 Airspeeder was shot down by Imperials and he attacked an Imperial Walker armed only with his lightsaber and blaster. The statue symbolized not only a Jedi, but a pilot and soldier.

My father gazed at the statue for a long moment before smiling widely. "Luke must hate this thing."

"Why?" I asked. "It looks good."

My dad gave me a knowing look. "Because he's modest…and you know Mara has to tease him about the accompanying plaque."

I glanced over to the plaque and grinned at the flowery praise. "Wow, that is an impressive write up." I looked back to the statue. "Why did Streke approve such a Jedi-loving monument to be erected?"

My dad shrugged. "You really can't have a Heroes Park honoring those who served in the Rebellion and omit Luke Skywalker, the man who blew up the Death Star."

"That's true." We followed the walkway to a long granite wall engraved with the names of military units that served in the conflict and the men and women who exhibited exemplary service. We saw a lot of familiar names: Dodonna, Madine, Antilles, and Darklighter, to name a few.

When we got to The Battle of Byss I fully expected to see my father's name there or at least Talon Karrde's, after all, they killed the Emperor Reborn, but only Luke and Uncle Han were credited in the infiltration of Byss' capital city and the Emperor's Citadel. "You name should be on this plaque, dad."

He shook his head. "When it happened Karrde asked that his entire crew remain anonymous. He didn't want to irritate the Imperials just in case he needed to do cargo runs in their territory. It's better this way." He gave me a smile. "I wouldn't want Luke's life of celebrity."

I sighed deeply. "You're probably right. I just don't think it is right that people in the future will never know what really happened."

My father reached over and put a hand on my shoulder. "You are still journaling, right? If you make sure my grandchildren know the truth that would make me a happy man. I can care less if the galaxy forgot I existed…as long as I am remembered by my family."

I nodded with a smile. "I'll make sure they'll remember."

We continued along the ' _Tour of heroes'_. Along the way my father would point out what secret conflicts were omitted. "They didn't mention the battle against the Vong." He chuckled. "I guess secretly destroying most of an entire invading species wouldn't be good publicity."

"Most? I remember you mentioning the invading Vong years ago, but I thought they were all destroyed by the Galaxy gun."

"I did mistakenly tell you that." He moved down to the next plague honoring the heroes that suppressed the Korfian Revolt. From what I remember from my history studies, it was an anti-New Republic uprising on the Planet Ithor that was thoroughly squashed by a regiment of NR military.

"I thought all the Vong were dead," my father continued. "But when I was on my secret little jaunt with Deke I discovered there were prisoners taken and they were given a place to live in the Maw."

"I guess they are in the Maw so the galaxy never discovers their existence?"

My dad nodded. "I don't see Mara anywhere in this park. She worked for the New Republic and fought against Joruus C'boath." He turned toward the imposing Skywalker statue at the center of the park. "Mara should have a statue there, next to Luke's. It should say, 'Mara Jade Skywalker—the woman who saved Luke Skywalker's butt multiple times." He turned back to the various statues and plagues. "I think its sexism."

I rolled my eyes. I really didn't want to get into this argument with my father again. He never liked the fact that the Imperial military and many military organizations within the New Republic and Galactic Alliance bar women from serving in frontline combat positions. It is much better now, but to date females are not allowed into Void Jumper units. My dad thinks it is an archaic belief and government approved sexism. I agree with him, but he can go on and on about what should be done. I decided to change the subject. "Dad, I have a question about our trip to Hapes and Bastion."

"What?"

"Are we really going there to visit family? Or are you actually trying to convince Streke that you are looking for different buyers?" I stopped and thought about what I just said. "Dad, is Marcus considering selling to somebody other than the Galactic Alliance?"

My dad's gave me a disarming grin. "No. We are going to sell the crystals to the Alliance, but we just want the best deal possible. I do have to admit visiting the family at this time does have the added bonus of putting a sense of urgency into Streke and some worry about my intentions. It's just a big political game of sabbac." He looked at his wristchrono. "I have to get back to the negotiations and don't you have some Vornskr feeding to do?"

I slipped my injured hand into my pocket, hoping my dad didn't see the bacta patch on it. I told dad we were trying to feed the runt, but I made sure not to tell him about my injury. Dad may be able to keep secrets, but he doesn't seem to be so inclined when divulging a secret could embarrass me.

"Yeah, I better get back." I gave my father a hug. "Give Streke hell, dad."

"You know I will."

**_Entry 39_ **

This is day two of trying to bottle feed the runt and I am failing miserably. Half the time he is nipping at my fingertips. I am beginning to think that my blood is the only nourishment the pup is getting. Zylie put him with his mother but as soon as he finds a teat he is pushed away by his siblings. Zylie then tried to take the other pups away from their mother so the runt could nurse in peace, but Princess would have none of that. She got up and just paced around the cargo area looking for her other pups, leaving the runt shivering.

I picked up the pup and turned to Zylie. "Why is the pup shaking so much? Is he scared?"

She looked up to me sadly as we left the cargo area and entered our cabin. "Pups get most of their body heat from their mother. He's not old enough to self-regulate his body temperature. "

I looked at the tiny shivering pup and frowned. "Do we have a heating pad or something to warm him?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. Maybe I can put some towels in the drier to warm them up. It probably won't be enough though." She put her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Talon. I know you want to save him."

"Thanks." I sighed heavily. "I don't want to give up on him."

She grinned impishly. "You're taken by this little guy, aren't you?"

I didn't want to admit I had any affection for the species, but his pup was different. "Zylie, look at him. He fits in my palm, he has a slight stripped pattern and look at those pretty pink eyes…unlike those evil red demon eyes Princess has."

Zylie gave a chuckle. "All pups have pinkish or blue eyes when they are born because they are still developing eye pigment. In a few months this pup will have blood red eyes."

"Oh." I held the little guy against my tunic to warm him up. "Can you get those towels? He is really trembling."

"Sure."

When Zylie left the room I got an idea. I put the pup on my bed and stripped out of my tunic. I then laid down in the bed and placed him on my bare chest as I brought my hands up to pet him. To my surprise the little guy stopped shaking so much and actually seemed less stressed. He moved around on my chest until he got to the small patch of chest hair growing between my pectoral muscles.

The baby vornskr was rubbing his head on the patch of hair and then started what I would call ' _pittin pushups'_. That is where a pittin will push his paws against your skin in a rhythmic motion. Seeing him so relaxed was encouraging. I stretched out with the Force and sent him soothing thoughts as I brought the bottle up to his mouth. I suppressed a shout of triumph when he finally took the bottle and sucked on it greedily. He kept drinking until Zylie came into the room and startled him. He pulled away from the bottle as his fur raised up on the back of his neck. "It's okay little guy," I said as I pet him on the head and turned to Zylie with a big scat-eating grin on my face. "Look who got a vornskr to bottle feed." I held up the bottle to prove to her he drank half the milk. "I told you I could do it."

I relished in my victory for about five more seconds before that little kriff'n vornskr decided to feed again and since the bottle was out of his reach he latched onto the only other thing that looked like it would provide nourishment. I screamed as the pup's razor-sharp teeth bit into the most sensitive area of my chest.

"Oh frak'n kriff!" I sat up only to realize that runt was still firmly attached to my chest.

Zylie ran up to me and grasped the little beast. "Lay down, Talon," she said in a tone of voice that I would best describe as amused panic. "I'll try to get him off you."

She grabbed the top of his skull and his lower jaw and tried to gently pry his jaws off. "Be careful! You're going to pull off part of my chest."

Zylie blew out a frustrated breath. "I don't want to break his jaw."

"Well I don't want him to bite off my man nipple." I yelled again as the pain increased. "Kriff! I think it's trying to chew it off!"

"Talon do that Force trick you used on Princess when she attacked you."

I nodded my head. "Good thinking." I placed my hand on the small pup and tried to project smoothing thoughts. "Go to sleep little guy. Please, please for the love of the Force, please go to sleep." I was relieved when his eyes closed and his jaw relaxed.

Zylie pulled the little guy off me and grimaced at the sight of blood. She turned away not wanting to look. "You better get 2-1B to patch you up."

I sat up and pressing my hand against my bleeding chest. "How bad is it? I don't want to look. You know I hate seeing my own blood."

"Go to the medical droid," Zylie insisted. The fact that she avoided answering the question made me really nervous.

"Just tell me if everything is there."

I saw her nod her head. "Everything is there, but just not where it should be."

I got out of bed and quickly moved to the infirmary. I know I am not a fan of droids, but I'm now really glad we have 2-1B.

Before I left the cabin I turned and grinned at Zylie. "I did get him to eat. So, it's not impossible."

She gave me a teasing smile. "Good for you, but the next time you decide to nurse a Vornskr maybe you should wear my bra."

.

.

**_Entry 40_ **

Ha! I figured out how to hand feed that little kriffer! It involves, body heat, hair, a bottle and protective bacta patches over my nipples! I discovered if he was lying in my chest hair and I put the bottle in his mouth he would actually eat. All I have to do is prevent him from biting me in such a sensitive location. Bacta patches work. I tried high adhesive tape at first for my non-injured side of my chest but then discovered pulling it off hurt almost as bad as being bit. So bacta patches are on both sides now.

I did realize that I should lock the door when feeding my runt vornskr. Zylie walked in on me feeding him in this manner and just about died laughing. She nicked named me Mama Vornskr.

I gave her a forced smile. "You are just jealous that I am the first person who discovered how to hand feed these little monsters."

She sat down at the edge of the bed and gazed down at me lovingly. "You are so cute." She jumped up and rummaged though the bed nightstand before pulling out an imager. "I need to take a vid of this."

I put up my hand in an attempt to block the lens. "No Zylie. If Ben ever finds out about this or my little mishap earlier he'll never let me live it down."

She pouted a bit, but when I didn't cave, she put away the imager. "You're no fun."

"Just don't tell your sister or Ben what happened." I gazed at her beseechingly. "Please."

She leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "I promise. I won't tell anybody."

She moved across the room to the closet and started browsing through her outfits. "Ben called and said we're invited to dinner with the Skywalker's tonight. You may want to finish up your feeding with the runt because Ben is coming to the ship to pick up some clothing before returning to his parents' quarters. You don't want him to catch you in such a compromising position."

"Thanks for the warning." When Zylie left to shower I looked at the teeny vornskr on my chest eagerly sucking away on a milk bottle. He was making some strange rumbling sound interspersed with tiny mews. "You are a hungry little boy," I whispered to him. "Yes you are." I stopped and realized to my horror that I just talked to the vornskr in that insipid singsong voice people use when talking to their pet pittins. "Ack! I can't believe I just talked baby talk to a vornskr."

I guess Zylie is right. I am getting a soft spot for the little guy.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Entry 41_ **

My father, Zylie and I went to the Skywalker's quarters at the temple for dinner tonight. Ben and Valla were already there, so it was a big family reunion of sorts.

It was an interesting meal.

We had our appetizers and then their protocol droid brought out dinner. It was a stuffed game hen with an assortment of side plates. It was delicious and I was having a great time until I realized my aunt kept looking over to me and suppressing a grin. Eventually I couldn't keep my curiosity in check. "What's so funny Aunt Mara?"

I could tell she was trying really hard to maintain her composure. "Nothing."

I took a sip of my drink waiting for her to finally admit that _nothing_ was really something. Unfortunately she fessed up when my mouth was full of fizzed berry juice. "I heard you got hurt breastfeeding a vornskr."

I choked on my drink forcing carbonated juice up and out my nose. I grabbed my napkin and wiped off my face before turning to glare at my wife. "You promised not to tell."

I could feel surprise rolling off of Zylie through the Force. "I didn't tell anyone, Talon."

"You are the only one that knew!" I shot back.

At this point Ben started laughing. "That's not exactly true."

"What do you mean?" I looked around the table and realized everybody was desperately trying to suppress laughter. "You all know!" I turned back to Ben. "Who told you guys?"

Ben grinned. "2-1B told me."

My jaw clenched as my dislike for droids was renewed. "Why would 2-1B volunteer up that information?"

Ben leaned back in his chair as a broad grin spit his face. "What happened was I went to the ship to pick up some dinner outfits for me and Valla and while there I used the 'fresher and noticed bloody bacta patches in the waste bin. I went over to the medical droid and asked him what had happened. That's when he told me about you getting speared by a baby vornskr tail and then how the runt bit off your nipple when you were trying to feed him."

At that point everybody at the table lost complete control and started laughing hysterically. My face turned bright red as I regarded my cousin. "That doesn't mean you have to tell everybody."

The obvious anger boiling up in me prompted Ben to try to explain his actions. He put his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "I didn't tell everybody, just Valla...at least at first. When I got back to my parents' quarters she knew I was hiding something." He gave me a beseeching look. "You know you can't keep secrets from Karrde women." He blew out a nervous breath before he continued. "Anyway, I told Valla and that got her laughing so hysterically she had to run to the 'fresher before she peed her pants. Mom comes down the hall and hears Valla in the 'fresher gasping for breath because she is hyperventilating and mistakes it for vomiting. Because she can sense joyful hilarity coming from us through the force she assumes if you feel happy about vomiting it means Valla is pregnant. So she gets all giddy and that brings my father running and wondering what is going on. I had to explain to them that Valla was not pregnant." He took a deep breath before continuing. "This upset my parents and they looked depressed, so I wanted to cheer them up, so I told them what happened."

I looked over to my father who was biting his bottom lip in an attempt to not laugh. "So how did my father find out."

My dad chuckled. "I can explain that. You know I have a Force connection to Luke and Mara. Well, I was in negotiations with Streke when I felt a disturbance in the Force. I knew something was up with the Skywalkers, but I couldn't get ahold of them on the comlink. So I contacted your brother Jaden and ask him to go down the Skywalker's quarters and find out what was going on. Which he did and reported the situation back to me."

I stared at him wide-eyed and slack jawed. "Are you telling me my entire family knows I got bit by a vornskr pup?"

My father was shaking as he tried to suppress his amusement. "Pretty much."

"I'm glad you guys are having so much fun at my expense," I said bitingly. "As soon as he is weaned Kriffer is gone."

"Watch your language at the table," my aunt chastised me.

"That is the name Talon gave the pup," Zylie explained.

My uncle took a sip of his drink. "That's a horrible name."

Valla nodded in agreement. "We should find an appropriate name for the pup."

"How about The Nipple Slayer?" Ben suggested.

I shook my head in disgust. "Not funny, guys."

"No," my aunt interjected. "I say we go with the nipple terminator…wait, wait, I got it: the nipplator."

"Oh I got a better one," my father said enthusiastically. "Darth Nipple, dark ruler of the Areola."

I balled up my napkin and tossed it on the table as I stood. "Why do I always get the brunt of your teasing?"

Mara stood and motioned for me to sit. "Sorry Talon. You just make it so easy sometimes. We tease you because we love you. Don't you know that?"

My eyes narrowed. "You also tease about Mokk Streke. Does that mean you love him also?"

My aunt took her seat and gave a look of disgust. "I don't tease him to his face. So no. If I tease you to your face, then I like you. If I do it behind your back, I dislike you."

"You must really love Talon," Ben remarked with a chuckle.

I sat back down but continued to glower at my family. "Why don't we change the subject." I turned to Ben. "Hey, how is that grandkid making process going?"

Ben's eyes narrowed as his jaw tightened. "You know I hate it when you do that."

Mara wiped her lips with her napkin and gave her son a furtive look. "If you and Valla gave me a grandchild then he wouldn't be able to use that ploy." Mara turned to Mark. "When are you going to start nagging Talon to give you a grandchild?"

My father chuckled. "One's enough for now."

A spike of fear shot through my spine, thinking dad just revealed Marcus' existence, but then I realized he was talking about Jessa.

"Yes, you have your granddaughter," Mara agreed. "But don't you want a grandchild from Talon and Zylie?"

My dad turned to us. "Yes I would very much like a grandchild from you two."

"I think we discussed that subject enough," I muttered before addressing my father. "How much longer will discussions go with Streke?"

My dad gestured that he didn't know. "My role in the negotiations is over. I will let the delegation continue the talks until a resolution occurs. I made it quite clear that I was going to Hapes to see my nephew. I am sure Streke will see this as me going to negotiate with the Hapan government about the sale of the crystals. Maybe that false pretense will encourage him to make a decision."

"When do we leave?" Valla asked.

"As soon as you're ready."

I looked to my wife and then Ben and Valla. "I'm ready when you are."

.

.

**_ENTRY 42_ **

We made planetfall on Hapes today. As we maneuvered the _Vazy Princess_ into the expansive palace docking bays we noticed the royal escort awaiting our arrival. I was impressed. Along with a small military escort, Tenel Ka sent two Hapan Knights to greet us. They didn't wear the standard Jedi Knight robes, but instead wore upper body armor similar to that of the Imperial Knights along with a lightsaber and a dangerous looking blaster on their leather belts. Over their highly polished black leather knee high boots they wore dark blue trousers with gold piping down the side.

As we exited our ship I began to feel a bit underdressed in my standard Jedi robes, especially next to my dad who was all decked out in his Indupar dress uniform. Ben was also in his robes and the ladies decided to wear what I considered business power suits. It was not quite formal wear but consisted of a delightfully formfitting dress under a blazer. Female politicians often seen wear this type of clothing style.

As we approached the military contingent an indoor passenger transport pulled up and a large man in uniform jumped out. I recognized him as my father's friend Deke Tavik. He walked up to my father laughing. "It looks like you lost some sort of bet." He pointed to my father's pompous outfit while grinning ear-to-ear. "Does your king have a grudge against you or does Kira dress you up like that so no other woman will look at you?"

My father's jaw tightened as his face darkened with irritation. "Now I remember why I don't visit you often."

Deke laughed and gave my father a one armed hug. "Damn, I missed making fun of you." Deke stepped back and looked my dad over. "Where's the sniper blaster rifle? You brought it, didn't you?"

"Yes." My father looked back to where I was standing. "Bring it, Talon." I moved forward carrying the weapon case.

Deke grinned. "Nice." He took it from my hand and motioned us to follow him. "The Queen and her consort are entertaining some political leaders for the next hour. I'm to keep you occupied until they're done." He opened the door to the small speeder for the women to enter. "It's nice to see you two lovely ladies again. I was a guest at your wedding." A frown touched his lips. "You probably don't remember me since I was on official guard duty and banned from drinking or having any fun."

Zylie smiled. "I remember you."

His smile widened. "You do?"

"Yes," Zylie continued. "I think you spent most of your time harassing my father-in-law, Mark."

Deke gave a mock pout. "Ah, and I thought it was my classical good looks that sparked your memory."

My dad gave him a light smack on the shoulder before squeezing into the front passenger seat. "Knock it off or I'll tell your wife you were flirting with other women."

Ben and I hopped into the rear seats of the transporter a nanosecond before Deke hit the accelerator and propelled us down the wide palace corridors at what I considered an unsafe speed. He turned to my father while motioning forward. "Let's go to my office. I want to show you the Intel I have in exchange for the blaster."

My father folded his arms across his chest and glared at his friend. "It better be worth it."

Deke shrugged. "I think you will find it interesting. It is remarkable enough that I haven't shown anybody it yet. I figured once I showed it to my Queen she'd tell Jacen who would let the Jedi know…and then I couldn't trade the information for a sweet blaster rifle."

My father chuckled. "You do realize you just told me that eventually the Jedi will have this information. So there is no reason to give up one of my prized possessions. I just have to be patient."

Deke grimaced. "Damn!" He gave my father a sideways glance. "You've gotten smarter in your old age."

This conversation peaked my curiosity. What important intelligence could dad's friend have that he wouldn't immediately bring to his Queen? He would have to know holding on to crucial information might be grounds for job termination. Unless it wasn't vital information for the Hapan government and more of interest to my father…perhaps it was about Indupar.

After a few minutes we pulled up to an office with the name of my father's friend engraved onto the door. He motioned us inside, holding the door for the women, and led us to a room with a large holoprojector. My father looked back to the rest of us before turning to Deke. "Can they see the information?"

Deke looked us over. "Sure, why not. I was only keeping it secret so I can offer you a trade." He hefted the blaster case onto his desk and opened it. He made a low whistle as he ran his fingers over the ancient blaster. "Oh this is beautiful." He went to pick it up out of the case but my father put a hand out preventing him from doing so. "You haven't convinced me that you have any information worthy of exchange. Let's see it."

Deke grimaced but then shrugged and picked up his holoprojector remote. He activated the machine to let it warm up. "My spies snatched this information from a Galactic Alliance operative. I assume it was going to your Chief-of-State or some other high official."

"Wait," Ben interjected. "Tenel Ka spies on the Galactic Alliance."

Deke gave us an amused expression. "Yes, but this was obtained from my private operatives."

"You, personally, spy on the GA?" I asked.

He chuckled and looked at my father. "I hope you are no longer as naïve as the Jedi."

My father shook his head. "No, I think I working for royalty has purged that from my system." He pointed to the projector. "Play it."

Deke started the projector and a fuzzy image formed above its base. Eventually I recognized the familiar armor of Void jumpers dropping from jump ships, their movements awkward and untrained. I couldn't see any brigade or company designation but if I had to bet, I would guess this was a training unit. My suspicion was verified as an armored trooper wearing an noncommissioned officer insignia ran up to ill performing troopers and started an animated conversation with them. There was no audio to the holo, and couldn't read their lips because of their full-face helmets, but it was obvious that these men were getting scolded by their superior. The NCO was waving his arms while motioning from the hovering jump platform and to the ground. He then went into a proper landing position before standing up and motioning to a trainee. The enlisted man copied the position demonstrated while the sergeant walked around the trainee, analyzing his positioning before motioning the man to rise. At this point Deke paused the video. "Mark, Talon, do you notice anything odd with the jump suit?"

My dad and I moved in closer for a better look. "Not much."

"The armor is a little different in color," I offered.

Deke grinned wildly. "You are right, young Jedi." He looked to my dad. "Have any guesses as to what it is made of?"

My father shrugged his shoulders showing disinterest. "No and I don't think any of this is worth my blaster." He closed up the blaster case and motioned for us to follow him.

"Wait, you'll want to see this."

My father stopped, his shoulder's drooping a little. I think he may have changed his mind over this exchange and wanted to get out before Deke proved the information worthy. He turned and frowned at his friend. "What?"

Deke turned the holo back on. The instructor stood back and allowed another fully armored Void Jumper to walk up to the trainee. The large man had no ranking painted on his armor, but he did have something that caught my eye…a lightsaber. The trainee popped to attention as the newcomer activated an amber bladed lightsaber and positioned himself in front of the trainee. I thought I was about to witness the ultimate punishment. Was a Jedi going to kill a trainee for not performing to standard? I gasped as the man brought the lightsaber back and swung it at the trainee's midsection. Void Jumper armor is only slightly resistant to lightsabers. If you push hard enough, it can go through the armor. I proved that when I had to amputate my father's leg when he was bleeding out in his combat armor. When the blade made contact, I fully expected the trooper to be cut in two, but the blade shimmered and shorted out against the silvery armor.

"What the…" Ben said slackjawed.

Deke grinned furiously as he moved to take the blaster from my father's grip. "Come on, don't tell me that doesn't interest you."

My father didn't look impressed. "So? The void jumpers have new lightsaber resistant armor."

Deke was disappointed by my father's nonchalant reaction. "Okay, just give it a moment."

The unknown man with the lightsaber deactivated the weapon and inspected the armor. He then gave the trainee a pat on his shoulder. He stepped back and motioned to the solider who then reached up and detached and removed his the armor was a species of near human that I have never seen before. His head was gruesome, with pale skin pulled taunt over its skull with no fat or cartilage to pad it. On the skeletal face were various tattoos and what looked like piercings around the man's narrow lips."

"What is that?" Zylie's shocked voice called out from behind me.

"That," Deke said with a grin. "Is what we call the Vong."

I looked over to my father. "Isn't that the species that the New Republic eradicated with the Galaxy Gun?"

"Almost eradicated," Deke pointed out. "There was a group of slaves called the _Shamed Ones_ who surrendered and survived. The New Republic leadership shipped them out to the Maw to live." He turned to my father and grinned. "Now they are training in lightsaber resistant armor. Don't you think that is worth the price of admission?"

"So what?"

Deke started cracking up. "You are so full of it. You mean you are not one bit concerned that an alien species that is completely immune to the effects of the Force is now being trained in armor that is immune to lightsabers." He turned back to the holoprojector. "I think your Chief-of-State is building a Jedi-killing army of void jumpers."

My father looked irritated as he shoved the blaster case into Deke's arms. "Fine, you win."

Ben analyzed the image above the holoprojector. "You said you didn't know where this information was being sent. Could somebody else other than the Chief-of-State be setting up this army?"

Deke shrugged his shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine." He turned off the holoprojector and removed the information disk that he tossed to my father. "Here you go. Do with the information as you wish. I will be giving a copy to the Queen shortly."

My father bounced the chip in his palm for a moment before he handed it over to Ben. "The Grand Master may want to see this." He gazed at Ben intensely. "Perhaps it is time for the Jedi to get off Coruscant."

.

.

**_Entry 43_ **

Ben and I are flying our StealthX fighters back to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. We did spend a short amount of time with Tenel Ka and Jacen before we left. They were just as concerned about the holovid of the lightsaber resistant armor and alien Void Jumpers. The Queen was a little irritated that Deke Tavik never told her about the Vong. The commander of her personal guard simply said, "You never asked me if I ever fought butt-ugly invaders from another galaxy that are immune to the Force."

I can't believe Deke isn't in a dungeon somewhere. He probably would be, but my father saved his hide. "Your Majesty. The mission was secret. Its security rating wasn't downgraded to _Classified_ until recently."

Ben quickly ended our little family reunion and decided we need to get the information to his father immediately. Dad is going to stay on Hapes for a while longer and then he is scheduled to visit Bastion. Marcus commissioned the Karrde Corporation to haul my father around the galaxy, so we will leave the ladies to finish this cargo run without us.

I was worried about the runt Vornskr, but my father said he would feed the little monster. I made sure he could actually do it before I left. The pup warmed up to my father right away. That was a relief.

This year is turning out so strange. My son's kingdom was attacked and the Jedi might be the target of the Chief-of-State and whomever he is working for.

This is a worrisome turn of events. I hope the remainder of the year is less stressful.


	16. Chapter 16

**_ENTRY 44_ **

**_47.5 ABY_ **

Ben and I arrived on Coruscant early this morning. We docked our StealthX's and immediately went to see the Grand Master to give him the datachip containing disturbing images of a possible Jedi hunting army. We radioed ahead and let them know we were coming, but we didn't dare discuss the issue over the comm.

We were ushered into their quarters by my former Master, Mara Jade Skywalker. She gave me the once over and smirked. "I'm surprised you managed not to get mauled by an animal or pummeled by an irate son of mine since we last saw each other."

I gave her my best insincere smile. "I must be losing my touch, Aunt Mara. I try to maintain a one injury-per-week schedule."

"Mom, please don't bring that up." I was surprised that Ben tried to curtail the teasing, but I then realized he wasn't upset about his mother joking about the vornskr attacks but instead how he punched me in the face while under the influence of a mind-witch.

My Uncle Luke came out of the kitchen area and greeted Ben and me with hugs. He stepped back and smiled at us uneasily. "So what information do you have that couldn't be discussed over the transceiver?"

Ben extended his arm and held out the datachip. "The Hapans recovered some interesting information from an unnamed Galactic Alliance source."

Luke grabbed the datachip out of Ben's hand and glanced at it curiously before walking to the living room and putting it into the family holovid projector. Both Jedi Masters sat down on a couch and watched the vid that showed Void Jumpers in training, the appearance of a large masked Void jumper brandishing a lightsaber and the giant's failed attempt to slice through a trainee's armor with a lightsaber. When the Void Jumper trainee took off his helmet both Luke and Mara gave a surprised gasp. "What is that?" Uncle Luke asked.

"My dad says it is the Yuuzhan Vong. Aliens from outside the galaxy that attacked the New Republic when I was a kid."

Luke nodded. "So, it wasn't a complete genocide after all. Your father said they were Force-Voids."

I gave a shrug of my shoulder. "I guess so." I gestured toward Ben. "He was my dad's apprentice. He knows more than I do."

Ben pulled in a breath. "From what Mark told me they don't create a Force-bubble like a ysalamiri, but you can't use the Force to shove or do any mind tricks on them."

"They would make perfect Jedi fighters and now they have lightsaber resistant armor. This doesn't bode well for the Jedi." Luke glanced over to his wife. "Do we have any Knights or Apprentices with an amber colored lightsaber?"

She shook her head. "None. How many Void Jumper Jedi do we have?"

Luke chewed on his bottom lip in thought. "Seven…six Jedi and one Apprentice. I suppose it is eight if we count Mark."

My aunt pointed to the holoprojector. "How many are as tall as the man in the holovid?"

Luke shrugged. "All of them. The void jumpers try to maintain a two-meter height requirement."

"There are exceptions," I pointed out. "They will recruit for specialized skills like Explosive Ordnance Disposal or Engineers. They will special order jump suits for men with skills they want."

Luke nodded. "None of our Jedi received waivers. They're all most likely as tall as the trooper with the lightsaber." He ran a hand through his greying hair before looking back to Ben and me. "Do we know when this vid occurred? If we do we can crosscheck and see where our Jedi Void Jumpers were during this time."

Ben shook his head. "No, we don't have a time or location and we don't know who was the intended recipient of the information. The Chief-of-State may not be involved in any of this."

Luke blew out a breath and contemplated the information for a long pause. He eventually turned to me. "We don't know if that was a Jedi or not, it doesn't take much to swing a lightsaber, but he appears to be Void Jumper trained. I want to send somebody out to scout the various Void Jumper units and gather intelligence." He stood and put a hand on my shoulder. "You are the only Jedi Void jumper that I trust without any reservations. I would like you to be the man to investigate further."

I grinned broadly. Usually I am the total kriff-up giving the Grand Master his grey hairs. It is nice to have his confidence. Of course my Master can never let me bask in the moment without giving me a hard time. She put her arm around my shoulder and smirked. "Try not to cause an intergalactic incident or have any additional body parts bitten off by newborn predatory animals."

I sighed. "I am never going to hear the end of the vornskr biting incident, am I?"

Her lips twitched in amusement. "Probably not."

.

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**_Entry 45_ **

Uncle Luke, under the pretense that I need to maintain my jump readiness, has offered my services to various Void Jumper units…so it looks like I'm going to the field again. The opportunity to get in more combat jumps is exciting, but I know Zylie is not going to be happy about this…not one bit. This was confirmed when I called her on the Skywalker's Subspace transceiver to let her know the news.

"Isn't there any other way to get information?" she asked while looking extremely worried. "Why do you have to go into combat? Can't you use those Psychometry powers of yours to figure it out? Go touch the Chief-of-State and see if you have any visions."

I heard Ben snort. He was sitting on the couch behind me waiting for the chance to talk to Valla.

I glared at him before returning my attention to Zylie. "I just can't walk up and shake the man's hand. He distrusts the Jedi already and he's always heavily guarded. I would have to make an appointment to see him and I don't have any reason for a visit." I blew out a frustrated breath. "Zylie, I am much safer in a Void Jumper unit than going into a danger zone as a Jedi with only my lightsaber and cumbersome robes for protection. As a Void Jumper I'm covered with over two hundred kilos of armor. It would take a thermo detonator to get through my protective plating."

As soon as I said those words I cringed knowing that is exactly how my father lost his leg. I was hoping she didn't catch the absurdity of my comment, but Ben had to open his big mouth, "Reassuring people really isn't your strength, is it Talon?"

I turned and glowered at my cousin. "You know, Ben, sometimes I am jealous of people who don't know you." I turned back to the transceiver. "Zylie I'll be fine. Void Jumpers are the best trained soldiers in the galaxy."

She crossed her arms across her chest not looking convinced, so Ben decided to help me. "Zylie, my mother, Mara Jade Skywalker, trained Talon to be a Jedi. I think that should be sufficient reason not to worry."

I could see she was considering his words. "That's true." She pointed toward me. "No heroics!"

I gave her a mock salute. "Be a coward. Got it."

She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible…but I love you." She moved aside to let her sister talk to Ben.

I considered sticking around and making smart-mouth comments, but decided taking a nap would be a more productive use of my time.

.

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**_Entry 46_ **

I reported to the 33rd Void Jumper Company based on the planet Felucia...which is the most bizarre planet I have ever seen. It has the strangest vegetation, with giant mushrooms and pitcher plants the size of five-story buildings. It would be an interesting place to live if it wasn't for the constant and unbearable humidity. I was also told Rancors infest the surrounding jungles. They are similar to Dathomir Rancors, but are reportedly much more bad-tempered and unpredictable (is that possible?).

Luckily my mission isn't on Felucia. The 33rd is preparing to deploy to a mining colony on an unnamed world in the outer reaches of the galaxy. I don't know why mining colonies are always hotbeds of violent power struggles.

Our deployment mission statement states there are two species of humanoids on the mining planet. One is a tall, blue skinned near-human species with flowing black hair and long bony arms and legs. The other species is shorter, with brown skin, bald head, with long cranial horns. The two races had lived peacefully together for millennia until a vein of Plexite Ore was found on the planet. It is a metal used to make hull plating for starships. It is a valuable commodity—one that the Galactic Alliance would like to secure and acquire.

The GA sent in negotiators to purchase the ore for our shipping industry, but neither side would agree on anything and eventually the talks devolved into violence with the two warring sides deciding genocide of the other party is the best solution to the problem. So now the Void Jumpers are going in to separate the two warring parties and allow the negotiation team time to solve this conflict peacefully.

Both groups were warned that the GA would send in Void Jumpers to act as peacekeepers, but they don't seem to care. I guess I will be going into a war zone soon.

 


	17. Chapter 17

**_Entry 47_ **

It is awesome getting back into armor. It is an exoskeleton made of pure, one-hundred-percent, badass, multilayered, blaster resistant alloy. The protective covering is over a centimeter thick and covers my body from my hermetically sealed battle helmet to my armor clad boots. Hydraulic _'muscles'_ are built into the suit to help the wearer move the massive weight of the armor. On my back is a jet pack used to slow my descent when jumping from the hover ship. Contrary to popular belief I can't fly around like a mynock in this suit. I can use it to bound forward similar to a person on a low gravity planet, but I can't fly around like an airspeeder. It is mainly used for a controlled descent or a short shot up to a jump ship.

Currently we are in orbit above the planet. The negotiators gave the locals an ultimatum; cease hostilities or a company of Void Jumpers would enforce peace. I just love that—be nice to each other or we will kill you!

.

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**_Entry 48_ **

I made a few friends today…I think. Sometimes it is hard to tell with Void Jumpers. They call each other foul names, roughhouse until they bleed, and do pranks on each other that no normal person would think of doing…and that is what they do to their friends.

A couple guys came up to me while I was lying in my bunk in the ship barracks. "Are you our Jedi asset?" asked a dark haired man in his twenties as he sat down on the bunk across from mine. Before I could answer, another man joined him. He was a little older, with closely cropped blond hair and a nasty scar running down the right side of his face.

I sat up and nodded. "Yes. My Jedi Master wants me to keep Void Jumper qualified and decided to ship me out on some jump missions."

Both of the men chuckled. "Your Master? Does he make you wear a collar and tight shorts?" Both men burst out laughing.

An unwilling smile tugged on my lips. "No, not for my Master, but my wife may like that."

"Oh ho." The dark haired man grinned. "Do you have any holos of your wife?"

I shook my head. "Not for you guys to look at. The last time I showed a trooper a holo of my wife he stole my datapad and disappeared into the 'fresher for ten minutes. I was disinfecting that thing for a week."

The two men chuckled. "You are okay for a spook," the blond said.

"Usually we don't like your kind," the dark haired man commented as he gazed at the combat jump wings on my uniform. "But you're a Jumper, so we'll overlook your spookiness."

"That is mighty nice of you."

He stretched out his arm toward me. "My name is Kaan and this is Olak."

I reached out and shook their hands. "Talon Tantiss." I leaned forward in the bunk and lowered my voice. "I've been hearing rumors of a new company of non-human Void jumpers being trained in specialized jump armor, have you heard anything about that?"

Okay, I probably wouldn't make a good spy. In fact, if my Aunt Mara heard my clumsy attempt to gain information, she'd probably smack me upside the head. Unfortunately, I didn't know anyway to inquire about the Vong Void Jumpers without actually coming out and asking.

Both men shook their heads. "No, what type of aliens are we talking about? Barabels?"

"Barabels?" I said with a laugh. "Barabels are training to be Void Jumpers?"

"Our Chief-of State had the higher-ups do a feasibility analysis, but they rejected the idea."

"Yeah," Olak interrupted. "The blast from the jet packs couldn't work with a giant armored Barabel tail swinging back and forth under the thrusters."

"It was a stupid idea." Kaan grinned widely. "With all due respect, the Chief-of-State is an idiot."

I always love it when military guys start out a sentence with _'With all due respect'_ because you know the next part of the sentence is going to be anything but respectful. In this case I think the Chief-of-State got off easy.

At that moment the overhead lights blinked twice signally it was ten minutes to lights out.

Kaan rose and slapped a hand on my shoulder. "Get some rest. We jump bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Hooyah!" Olak yelled while slapping his chest. "Tomorrow those kriffnuts are going to get a big metal boot up their ass! Out-kriffing-standing!"

I had to chuckle as they walked away. Void Jumpers were never shy about proclaiming their superiority over…well just about everyone. Hopefully this mission will go smoothly.

.

.

**_Entry 49_ **

I am back from my mission and nothing went smoothly. In fact it was a disaster.

The two warring parties disappeared into a thick jungle as soon as they realized Void Jumpers were on the way and the two armies set up camp approximately two kilometers from each other. We looked for drop points and found only one clearing nearby. It was devoid of trees, which I found odd, but sensors indicated it was soil and grass.

We of course thought it was a trap so we used infrared sensors to see if the enemy had set up an ambush, but that didn't appear to be the case. The plan was to send down a platoon to secure the landing zone and from there the remainder of the company would drop down and split in two, half going toward one enemy camp and the remainder to the other. According to higher ups we are not to hurt the locals unless our lives are in danger. Our job is to disarm the combatants and move the two armies off in different directions.

I was to accompany the lead platoon. We loaded up into our Jump transports and descended into the planets atmosphere. Once above the landing zone we did another scan for combatants but found none.

The jumpmaster opened the door and I could feel the humidity through my open facemask. I quickly closed and sealed my helmet, not wanting to deal with removing moisture from the helmet.

"Void Jumpers, stand up!" The jumpmaster screamed over the sound of rushing air. I stood and queued for the jump. Since I was a Jedi Asset and not given rank I was relegated to the back row with the privates. "Check equipment!"

I checked the readouts for my suit making sure the thrusters were in the green and my blaster was positioned properly in front of my body. I had my lightsaber in a small side storage compartment, but I doubt I will use it. The armor gives me limited flexibility, which makes it difficult to wield the weapon.

"Stand in the door!" The jumpmaster commanded and the platoon shuffled closer to the edge of the large exit and stood at the ready. "Go! Go! Go!" the jumpmaster screamed as a long stream of Void Jumpers exited the craft. I finally got to the door and made my jump. I've done enough of these drops that I don't need to check my altimeter. Like most combat vets I eyeball the quickly approaching landing zone and estimated when I should engage thrusters. I could see the lead troopers engaging their packs to slow their velocity. I did the same so not to ram into them. The entire platoon was coming down into a neat formation, everything looked good…until all hell broke loose. The first men to land disappeared into the ground. I could see the remaining troops firing thrusters to full power, it slowed them down to a crawl, but eventually they would have to land. I immediately knew what we were dealing with. It was a wobbly bog—a pond with a mat of vegetation woven over the surface of the water. Over the years dirt and detritus fill in the areas around the floating vegetation and to the naked eyes and, unfortunately, to sensors it looks like solid ground. They are extremely rare, but I have run into one of them years ago.

"Wobbly bog!" I warned the men.

Some of the troopers succeeded in adjusting their thrusters and finding a patch of land strong enough to hold their weight. I engaged the side thrusters and used the Force to slow my descent. My father once told me Uncle Luke walked on lava and slew a lava dragon. If the Grand Master could manage that, I should be able to walk on a mat of vegetation. I maneuvered to the tree line, aiming for what looked like solid land. I missed it by ten meters but, utilizing the Force, I succeeded in hopping over the swampy area like a rock skipping over water. It wasn't until I landed on firm land that I heard the frantic screams of my comrades.

"Kriff! I'm stuck in the muddy bottom!" I heard one man yell.

"My thrusters aren't working! This is more mud than water."

"I don't think I can hold my breath long enough to un-suit and swim!"

In between these outbursts I heard the platoon sergeant yelling for them to conserve their air. I realize he was one of the lucky ones who managed to make it to shore. I did a quick count and realized at least six of our men were missing while the remainder were either on dry land or buried chest deep in muck. I saw the platoon sergeant and bounded over to him. "How much oxygen do they have?"

He shook his head. "Only about ten minutes. These suits are not made for high altitude jumps so there is not a lot of need for oxygen. The transport is going back to get a submersible recovery vehicle." As soon as the sergeant said the words I could see in his face that he knew the men would be dead before help arrived.

"Maybe I can levitate them out of the water." I lifted up my arms and closed my eyes and reached out in the Force for the nearest stranded trooper. After a few seconds I sensed the man who I knew as Olak.

"Olak, this is Talon, I'm going to try to get you out."

"Who the hell is Talon?" he screamed.

"The spook!" I concentrated trying to pinpoint his position. I am great at picking up things, but I usually have to see the object. This was a bit more difficult. I eventually found the man, latched on to him and pulled…and pulled. Eventually the mud on the bottom of the pond released him and I managed to get him to shore. He crawled out of the muck on hands and knees before collapsing on solid ground.

I reached out for a second and a third man. As I pulled them from the bog other troopers grabbed them and moved them to safety.

Three men remained underwater. I reached out for the fourth trooper when we came under fire from both sides of the bog. I looked up and could see two species of warriors firing at us. It is nice to know two opposing armies can come together to kill Void Jumpers. My attention was pulled away from the water rescue and I aimed my blaster and started defending my comrades and myself.

The men stuck in the lake were clamoring for me to get them out. "We are under fire," I explained. "I can't use the Force to levitate you out if I'm dead. Stop talking and conserve your oxygen."

"The Jedi's right," the platoon sergeant emphasized. "The jump ship is returning to provide suppressive fire. ETA one minute."

"I don't think I have a minute of oxygen left," one man cried out.

"Not if you keep screaming." I shot a few more blue skin natives advancing on our position.

"I need three men to protect the Jedi so he can rescue the rest of the men," the platoon sergeant yelled out.

I heard three affirmatives over my helmet comlink and soon three armored men surrounded me. One man lifted his facemask and turned to me. It was Olak. "Time to do your spook magic. Then we can take out these motherkriffers."

I gave a curt nod and reached out toward the three remaining men. They had stopped talking, but I could hear their labored breathing. I reached out and grabbed onto all three and pulled them toward me. When they were on shore my protectors took up a position around the prone men, rolling them face up and unsealing their helmets to let oxygen in. By now I could hear the roar of the jump ship rushing down and engaging blaster cannons on the enemy. The firefight was terrible, but eventually both armies retreated. I rushed over to the three men to assess their condition. One of them was Kaan, the man I met earlier. I could tell his eyes couldn't fully focus but he managed to look to me and smile. "I am never going to say a bad thing about a spook again."

I laughed. "Except call me a spook."

He grinned. "Of course."

I check the other men, thinking I might have to perform a Jedi healing technique. They appeared hypoxic with bluish lips and confusion, but they should be okay once they are evac'd and given oxygen. Which is good because I suck at the healing arts. That is my bother's forte.

.

.

**_Entry 50_ **

The GA negotiation party expressed outrage to the leaders of the two warring parties. They made it quite clear that we were a peacekeeping force to disarm and broker a treaty. The unwarranted attack of the Void Jumpers was an act of war. Wow, that proclamation must have increased the pucker factor for the two warlords. With the threat of aerial bombardment both parties surrendered. As part of the surrender they would give up their claim to the Plexite Ore and the Galactic Alliance would mine the ore and compensate the locals with funds (probably a fraction of what the ore is worth) and we would also established a garrison on planet to ensure peace is maintained.

Maybe I'm becoming jaded, but I think our presence was specifically meant to draw fire from the locals and therefore justify the occupation of the planet. I am just glad none of the Void Jumpers died that day. We stayed in orbit for a few days before returning to Felucia. We will remain on-call for another week. If it looks like the treaty will hold, we will stand-down and maybe I can return back to Zylie. I miss her.


	18. Chapter 18

**_Entry 51_ **

I am still on Felucia. I guess things on the mining colony are not going as smoothly as predicted. We remain on alert. There is an upside, though. The men I saved in the platoon constantly want to bring me out on the town and buy me drinks. Olak and Kaan are usually the two main party instigators. I am not much of a drinker, but I enjoy going out and watching them get sloshed. There is nothing more humorous than seeing drunk soldiers getting in trouble. It is also an opportunity for me to ask questions about the Vong Void Jumpers without raising too much suspicion. I suspect that most of the inebriated troopers I talk to rarely remember our conversations the next day.

Last night I think I stumbled on some good intelligence. I was sitting at the bar in the Non-Commissioned Officer's club, nursing a drink, and laughing at Olak and Kaan's drunken attempts to court women when an older man, probably in his late fifties, sat down next to me. He glanced over and grinned happily. "You're the Jedi, aren't you?" he slurred slightly as he offered his hand in greeting.

"That's right. Talon Tantiss." I extended my hand, which he grasped in a firm grip and pumped up and down enthusiastically. "I just wanted to shake your hand. My name is Sergeant Major Darotus. You saved my nephew. He is in the 33rd and jumped with you." He released his grip and then quickly grabbed the edge the bar to keep from slipping off his stool. "I just wanted to thank you. My nephew followed in my footsteps to become a trooper. My sister would never forgive me if her only son died."

"No problem. How long have you been a trooper?"

"Let's see." The man's brow furrowed in thought. "It's been thirty two years now. I plan on retiring soon."

I nodded. "That's a long time. What are you going to do after you retire?"

He gave a shrug. "Don't know. I was offered a job as a consultant, but…" He trailed off, not completing the sentence.

I could sense the man's unease through the Force, which was odd because retired soldiers work as military consultants all the time. "Are you going to take the job?"

I could see the strong line of his jaw tighten as he shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"It doesn't feel right," he said as he started to slide off his barstool. "Thanks again for saving my nephew and the other men in the 33rd."

I was curious as to why a job offer made this man so uneasy. I had a feeling that this could be important so I put a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from leaving. "Hey, let me buy you a drink."

The man smiled broadly and shifted his weight back onto the stool, "Sure."

I signaled the bartender and called out. "Two ales." I then returned my attention back to the soldier. "My father's a retired Void Jumper. He may be interested in a consultation job. Can you tell me more?"

The Sergeant Major's eyes narrowed slightly. "No, not really. I was offered a large amount of credits, but I did some digging and found out the job was on Karazak. I didn't want to get involved with any organization based on that planet."

"Karazak," I muttered to myself as I tried to remember where I heard of that planet. After a moment I recalled it from my history classes. "You mean the homeworld of the Karazak Slavers Cooperative?"

He gave me a curt nod. "I don't know if I was contacted by the KSC or not, but they were looking to hire retiring Void Jumpers."

"To be slavers?"

He shook his head. "The person who contacted me said they were looking for Void Jumpers to train members of a private security consulting firm."

The drinks arrived and I took a sip while contemplating the issue. It could be the KSC was considering expanding their operations and intended to bulk up their security. Karazak was in the outer rim of the galaxy on the edge of wild space. They seemed content to stay on the outskirts of civilization, but perhaps that was going to change. The KSC was outlawed in the Galactic Alliance and the Empire…or at least Jagged Fel's Empire. Palpatine's Galactic Empire by Imperial degree actually made slavery legal under certain conditions. I believe the condition was if a planetary government didn't support Emperor Palpatine he allowed slavers to attack their world. As far as I knew, the organization was still active in the outer rim. This may have nothing to do with the Vong Void Jumpers, but it is still a concern. I have to make sure to let the Grand Master know about this information as soon as possible.

"Do you have contact information?"

He shook his head. "No, they contacted me and said they would get back to me later. When they did make contact I turned down their offer. I haven't heard from them since."

I was going to ask some more questions but Kaan and Olak showed up at that moment with a couple ladies on their arms. Kaan motioned to the blond human female pressed up against him. "This is Candise." He motioned to the other woman with an arm around Olak. "And that is Luli. Olak and I are going to check out their apartment. They said they have a friend they could hook you up with, but I told them you are a Jedi and they castrate you guys when knighted."

My eyes went wide. "What?"

Kaan gave me a wink and leaned in to whisper to me. "I didn't want to get you in trouble with your wife."

"You could have told them I was married. Do you know how fast a rumor like that gets around a military base?"

"Sorry," he said with a laugh before turning his attention back to the women. "Come on ladies, I know a void that I want to jump into."

I rolled my eyes and wondered how such horrible lines could possibly attract a woman. When they walked away I noticed the Sergeant Major was now gone. I looked around but couldn't find him anywhere. I threw some credits on the bar to pay my tab and left the club.

I'm a lousy spy.

.

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**_Entry 52_ **

Once I got back to the barracks I retrieved my handheld transceiver. It allows me to send encrypted messages to the Jedi Temple by way of holonet relay satellites. I found a quiet spot on the 33rd's parade field bleachers and keyed in the code to the Grand Master.

I waited and waited for a response and was about to disconnect the signal when my call was answered. When Grand Master Skywalker's projected image appeared I grimaced realizing it was the middle of the night on Coruscant. Uncle Luke was wearing a bathrobe and he must have ran to answer my call because his hair was disheveled and his cheeks flushed. To my relief Uncle Luke didn't seem too perturbed. "Hello Talon," he said with a slight grin. He turned to somebody out of the projector reception. "You're right, it's Talon."

I couldn't see my Aunt Mara, but I could hear the irritation in her voice. "Of course it is my former apprentice. I somehow forgot to train him to not interrupting us while we're…"

"Sleeping," my uncle said quickly, followed by an obvious snicker from my aunt.

"Yes, we were sleeping," Aunt Mara said as she came up behind my uncle and in view of the projector. She was also wearing a robe accessorized with a harsh glare of annoyance. "Please tell me you found something that couldn't wait until morning."

I had trouble suppressing a grin. I am sure I interrupted something, but it wasn't their sleep. "I did. I don't know if it has anything to do with the Vong, but a senior Void Jumper said some unidentified person attempted to recruit him to train void jumpers on the planet Karazak. He turned them down. Unfortunately, he didn't know the person's identity and he doesn't have a way to contact the recruiter."

I saw my Aunt give Uncle Luke a concerned sideways glance. "Slavers?"

He shrugged. "They are still operating in the outer rim. The Jedi Council has been pressuring the Galactic Alliance to do something about it, but they operate outside our jurisdiction and the Senate doesn't want to stretch themselves thin. They are more concerned with problems within their star systems."

I frowned. "It figures the Chief-of-State doesn't want to get his hands dirty."

Luke shook his head. "Surprisingly Mokk Streke is adamantly anti-slavery. He has tried to sway the senate to do something for years. I think he finally gave up. I haven't heard him talk about the subject in the last year."

"Should I go to Karazak and check it out?"

The Grand Master considered my offer. "No, stay there. If we snatch you out mid-mission you might be deemed undependable. Wait until you're dismissed and we'll see if you're needed." He turned to Mara. "Who do we have near the outer rim?"

My aunt's brow furrowed in thought. "Hanna is on Sullust and Valin Horn is on Kabal. We can pull them from their current low priority missions and send them to investigate."

"You are going to send Hanna and Valin?" I asked incredulously. "Don't you think that's dangerous?"

Mara gave me a look that was somewhere between bewilderment and irritation. "I assure you Hanna is a fully trained Jedi Knight. I know Ben is overly protective of his little sister, but I didn't realize you also see her as the baby of the Skywalker family. Hanna Skywalker is quite capable of protecting herself from slavers."

I scoffed. "I wasn't worried about slavers. I was worried about her spending time alone with Valin. You _do_ know his reputation as a womanizer."

My aunt and uncle rolled their eyes. "Valin won't be a problem." Uncle Luke glanced over to his wife and smirked. "Hanna is now dating Jedi Rakan…who in in charge of mission assignments. If Valin doesn't want to end up field testing sleeping bags on Hoth he'll keep his hands to himself."

"Okay," I chuckled. "I guess I'll let you get back to…whatever you were doing."

My uncle blushed fiercely. "It's called sleeping, Talon."

Before I could say more my former Master gave me a scathing look before reaching over my uncle's shoulder and disconnecting the signal.

Opps! I think I may be in trouble again. Ha!

.

.

**_Entry 53_ **

I'm getting bored. We are still on alert, but there have been no updates on the situation in the mining colony. I may ask the company commander to let me go home if there is nothing for me to do.

.

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**_Entry 54_ **

Today was fun. Olak and Kaan asked me if I wanted to go with them to the post obstacle course. They said they like running it for exercise. I had nothing better to do so I went with them.

It was a standard obstacle course with cargo nets, ropes, horizontal ladders, walls, belly crawls, vaults, high-steps, balance logs, stump hoppers, high-rise and gut-busters. Olak and Kaan must run this course a lot because I had a hard time keeping up with them. After we finished the course they looked disappointed. "You're not very good for a Jedi," Kaan remarked.

"I didn't use the Force. I thought that would be unfair. I thought you guys wanted to run a fair race."

They both looked to each other and laughed. "No, we wanted to see you levitate up those obstacles. We figured if you can pull us out of a bog you must be able to fly."

I grinned. "I can levitate a bit, but I am better at lifting things other than myself. I can run it for you as a Jedi if you want."

They both grinned. "We would love to see what you can do," Olak said.

"We're sure it will be spook-tacular."

I shook my head at that stupid joke. "Alright." I was about to start when we heard cadence and a platoon of soldiers running double-time in our direction. Olak groaned. "Damn, that's Senior Sergeant Toppen. He is a drill instructor here."

Kaan motioned me to follow. "Let's get out of here. He likes to hassle Void Jumpers."

"He's a Void Jumper wannabe," Olak commented. "He applied and washed out and he's hated jump troopers ever since."

We started walking away in the opposite direction from the approaching platoon when a loud bellowing voice rang out. "Hold up there, Troopers."

Olak and Kaan stopped and sighed. "Damn, he spotted us."

I looked to the two. "He's not in your unit. You shouldn't have to take his orders, even if he does outrank you."

Olak nodded. "True, but he has the ear of a lot of our superiors. It is just easier to avoid him or go along with his requests."

"And what is he going to request?"

Kaan chuckled. "If he finds us out running or exercising he asks the mighty Void Jumpers to demonstrate to his new recruits what the minimum standard is for a particular skill or event. He then tells his recruits Void Jumpers are only capable of doing the minimum standard because we let the mechanical muscle of our suits do all the work."

"He trains Ground-pounders," Olak added using the slang term for non-mechanized infantry. "He tries to convince them the Infantry is better than Jump Troopers."

"Do I see members of the illustrious 33rd Void Jumper Company?" a wiry senior sergeant with graying hair asked as he approached us. He called his platoon to a halt and had them perform a right face so they were standing at attention in front of the obstacle course. He walked over to us smirking. "Would one of you boys like to demonstrate the obstacle course for my new recruits? I'm sure you fine upstanding Void Jumpers wouldn't mind assisting in the training of these exemplary future infantrymen."

Olak smirked. "No problem Senior Sergeant." He slapped a hand down on my shoulder. "Our friend here will demonstrate." He turned to me and grinned. "Right? Can't you show them a _spectacular_ demonstration?"

I nodded. "Sure." I didn't intend on using the Force but the Senior Sergeant's next comment aggravated me immensely.

"Excellent." He turned to the platoon. "Keep your eye on this Jumper, men. He will demonstrate the minimum standard for Infantrymen." He turned and gave me a look of distain. "After all, Void Jumpers need their armor to make them fighting men." He turned back to the platoon. "Unlike ground infantry! Who are real men! Made of grit, muscle and mettle. You are the best-of-the-best-of-the-best!"

The platoon gave out a loud ' _hoorah!_ '.

I rolled my eyes. I know the platoon is just a bunch of young motivated men, but this sergeant's attitude is grating.

I forced a smile on my face. "Just give me a _'go'_ , Sergeant."

The drill instructor sneered as he looked at his wrist chrono. "Go!"

I ran to the first obstacle, which was the rope climb. With the help of the Force, and only utilizing my arms, I bounded up the rope like an Endorian spider monkey. I then ran across a balance beam and jumped down ten meters instead of using the cargo net. I arrived at the gut-buster. It is a series of logs that are arranged in a rising incline. I was suppose to jump up onto the first horizontal log, and then hurdle out and get my midsection on the second higher log and continue doing this until I reach the last log, go over and climb down. Instead I ran up the logs like I was running up stairs. That equated to running up steps that are over a meter apart with a one-and-a-half meter increase per step. I smiled with I heard an audible gasp from some of the platoon. I jumped down, did a quick low crawl under the razor wire, vaulted a series of meter tall horizontal logs and easily climbed over a three-meter wall with rope (I didn't use the rope). I arrived to the high-rise. I think I was expected to climb the rope next to the obstacle because this is a team event. It consists of six platforms stacked two meters apart like a tower. Squad members would help the first soldier up to the upper floor and then the next and finally the squad hauls up the last man. Instead I reached up and grabbed the platform and easily pulled myself up to the next platform and continued until I reached the top. I climbed down an inclined log ladder, quickly jumped over a series of stumps situated over a meter apart, navigated through some high steps, leaped over a trench, scurried through a large pipe, over a rope bridge and then the final sprint back to the platoon. I am fairly sure I beat any post obstacle course record. When I arrived Olak and Kaan screamed to the new recruits. "Remember, that is the minimum standard!"

My friends patted me on the back and gave a loud hurrah before addressing Sergeant Toppen. "Void Jumpers! Death from above!"

The dumbfounded look on the drill instructor's face was priceless. I nudged Kaan with my elbow. "We should tell him I'm a Jedi."

"What? Why?"

I pointed to the young men in the platoon. "Because one of those men might try to repeat my performance and break his neck."

Both of my friends nodded. "Yeah, they would be stupid enough to do that."

"Sergeant, tell your men don't try to copy my buddy's amazing feat of agility," Kaan said while throwing an arm around my shoulder. "He's a spook and therefore has an unfair advantage."

The stunned look slipped off the sergeant's face and was replaced by rage. "I heard the jump units have special quota slots reserved for Jedi!" He pointed a finger at me. "It is spoiled, politically connected slackers like you that take away slots from hard working soldiers. It's a disgrace."

I gave him a sheepish grin. "I actually didn't grab one of the Jedi slots. I was given a legacy preference since my father is a Jump Trooper combat veteran."

That didn't pacify the drill instructor. He appeared to hate legacy candidates as much as Jedi. My friends and I decided it was time to beat feet out of the area. As we ran toward the barracks we could hear the sergeant adamantly give his opinion of Void Jumpers, Jedi and legacy candidates. I obviously occupy a special place on the drill instructors list of people he doesn't like. Ha!


	19. Chapter 19

**_Entry 55_ **

I am going home! I said goodbye to my new friends in the 33rd Void Jumper unit and hurriedly made my way back to my StealthX. The first person I contacted on my ship transceiver was the Grand Master. I needed to know if he wanted me to go to Karazak to help Hanna and Valin with their investigation.

When my uncle answered my call I couldn't help but notice he looked deeply troubled. "What's wrong, Uncle Luke?"

He ran a hand over a couple days worth of chin stubble as he regarded me somberly. "We got word back from Karazak. We didn't find any Vong Void Jumpers. In fact, we didn't find anybody there. No slavers, no captives…just the buildings, and those were burnt along with their contents. There is evidence of a bloody conflict, but we don't know if there was a slave uprising or competing slavers came in and captured everybody to sell for profit."

I nodded. "I'll get right out there and use my psychometry abilities to see what happened."

"No," Luke said abruptly. "I don't want you there, Talon."

My eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Luke stared at me for a long pause, his eyes dark and haunted. "I'll send you a full report, but the images Hanna and Valin sent were so disturbing I don't think using your powers to _'see'_ what happened there would be prudent."

I was confused as to what he was talking about. "I thought you said you didn't find anybody there. So how would you know visions of what went on would be any more disturbing than what I've seen in combat?"

He gave a tired nod of the head. "Valin was able to pull off records from a few surviving computers and what we discovered was sickening. It appears the Karazak slavers weren't operating a normal slaving operation. It was mainly a pleasure slave trade, which is not surprising, but what is disturbing was they were custom designing slaves for customers." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "They operated a surgical hospital which mutilated various species to appeal to particular fetishes. There are images of amputations, limbs removed from one species and added to another. Zabraks with lekku, Twi'lek's with no lekku, human's with tails, gender alterations and…" His voice cracked with emotion and he had to stop to compose himself. "Hanna found a dumpster full of discarded body parts in the rear of the medical building. We have medical teams collecting every limp, every scrap of flesh and every drop of blood and conducting DNA testing. I know it will be tough for loved ones to discover the fate of their missing family members…but it has to be done. What was going on there was cruelty beyond comprehension." He ran a hand through his graying hair and sighed. "I think using your powers to see what went on first hand, experiencing what the victims felt, might be too traumatic." He shook his head sadly. "Nobody should see that."

I was conflicted by this information. It is true that I never like using my Jedi ability to touch objects used in homicides to see the past connected to it, but in this case I was willing to take the risk. These slavers must be stopped. "Uncle Luke, I want to try."

He shook his head. "I didn't make this decision lightly. I consulted Jedi Rogek, our trauma healer, and she says psychic visions of torture and mutilation could be so harrowing that it could damage your psyche."

I groaned and closed my eyes in disbelief. "You talked to the psychiatrist about this? What does she know about my abilities? I never discussed my psychometric visions with her."

He looked away for a moment. "Ben told me how upset you would get when you assisted him with his Sentinel homicide cases."

"You discussed this with Ben!" I blew out a breath. "Did you talk to Aunt Mara about this? She was my Master. Does she agree with your decision?"

"Not at first, but after seeing the report she changed her mind." He turned back to me his gaze warm and fatherly. "We probably don't need your help anyway. The Chief-of-State is using the evidence we acquired to pressure the senate into taking action. He has declared the slavers to be galactic criminals that performed crimes against nature. He is sending a fleet out to hunt down and apprehend the slave syndicate. They may not be within Galactic Alliance territory, but there isn't any outlying planets that can oppose the power of the GA."

"That's good, right?"

My uncle shrugged. "If he is sincere, then yes. If he is using this as an excuse for a power grab and to annex territory then I don't know."

A nagging question crossed my mind. "What did Mokk Streke say when you revealed we were nosing around Karazak? At one point we suspected the Chief-of-State of creating of a Vong army of Jedi-killing Void Jumpers…shouldn't he have been upset about us sniffing around their last unconfirmed location?"

The Grand Master's brow furrowed. "I told him we were investigating reports of an upsurge of slaving activity in the region. It was a simple two-Jedi intelligence gathering mission." He paused in thought. "He appeared concerned, but he didn't act suspicious or worried that we were there. Perhaps he isn't behind these Vong Void Jumpers." He hesitated for a second. "But there were Void Jumpers there. Our other Jumper qualified Jedi looked at photos from the scene and verified boot prints found outside the compound came from Jumpsuits."

I thought about it for a moment. "Maybe the slavers are in the middle of a turf war and they are subcontracting Void Jumper security."

"Perhaps," Luke said slowly. "But that doesn't answer the one question that has been plaguing me…if it was the Vong how did the slavers find out about the Vong Shamed Ones and why them? According to your father he didn't even know they survived until a few years ago. The Chief-of-State was one of the only people who knew where they were resettled. And if it was a turf war why would they need Force-resistant fighters?"

"Tenel Ka's Chief-of-Security, Deke Tavik, knew. I heard him discussing it with my dad while we were on Hapes visiting Jacen and the Queen. Maybe Tavik is involved. He's a Void Jumper and he conveniently came across the video showing the Vong and their lightsaber resistant armor. He came right out and told my dad that Mokk Streke is building a Jedi-killing army. Maybe the video is a scam. Could he be playing an angle to pit the Jedi against the Chief-of-State?"

"What?" My uncle made a face. "For what purpose?"

I shrugged. "Maybe the Hapan government wants Streke out of power. He's been irritating a lot of people, possibly the Hapans."

Luke put up his hand in a halting gesture. "Let's not start pointing fingers. Now that I think about it, these Shamed Ones were probably transported to their new home by New Republic ships. There are possibly hundreds of people who have this knowledge. Besides, I doubt the Hapan monarchy is behind this. It would mean placing the Jedi in harms way to fulfill a political agenda and I can't see that happening. I trust Jacen and Tenel' Ka implicitly."

"I once trusted Jacen with my life, but then there was Kavan and Myrkr."

Luke's mouth flattened to a hard line. "Jacen is an upstanding Jedi. Don't bring that up again."

I lowered my eyes, discomfited by my uncle's censure. "Sorry. You're right." Although our transmissions were encrypted we did make a vow on Myrkr that we would never discuss Jacen's slip to the darkside ever again. The Skywalker, Solo and Tantiss family were conspirators in probably one of the biggest cover-ups in the galaxy. If anybody exposed our involvement it would destroy us. Still…Jacen did turn to the darkside once. What is keeping him from falling from the light again? I don't know...maybe I'm just being paranoid. Without further evidence I would defer to the Grand Master's judgment in this matter. "Where do you want me to go then?"

He gave me a wane smile. "I was told the _Vazy Princess_ is on Bastion. Ben already rendezvoused with the ship. Why don't you go and meet up with them and I will get back to you if something comes up."

"Okay," I said softly. "Tantiss out."

Next, I contacted my wife. I told her to keep the bed warm, because I was on my way home.

.

.

**_Entry 56_ **

I had escaped Felucia's atmosphere and was about to make my jump to hyperspace when I got a high priority call from Uncle Luke.

"What is it this time," I muttered under my breath. "Is he making sure I have my crash webbing on?" I still was a little irritated with my uncle's overprotectiveness and refusal to let me travel to Karazak. He should trust my judgment when it comes to my emotional response to my psychometric visions. I'm positive I could persevere and locate the slavers, but I'll never know now. I flipped the switch activating my transceiver as I forced a smile on my face. "Did you forget something Uncle Luke? Or did you change your mind about me going after the slave syndicate?"

Surprisingly, his lips twisted into a tight-lipped grin. "I changed my mind."

I jaw went slack for a moment before I regained my composure. "Really? You want me to go to Karazak?"

My uncle shook his head. "I still think visiting the hospital where those horrific mutilations took place would be too traumatic. I want you go to Dathomir."

"What?"

A slight smile touched my uncle's lips. "As soon as I ended my conversation with you I got a communication from Jedi Har'shi, our Dathomir witch. She was visiting relatives on her home planet when two ships landed near her village. By the time the witches arrived to meet the intruders one of the ships departed leaving the second spacecraft scuttled and abandoned. Inside the cargo hold were sixty-three men bound and shackled. They claim they were kidnapped by slavers, but Jedi Har'shi believes they are the true slave masters."

I raised an eyebrow. "How did she determine that? Did they admit it?"

He coughed and I am fairly sure it was to disguise a laugh. "No, they deny they are slavers, but whoever dropped them off on Dathomir used a skin-staining stylus to print the words, ' _We enslave women'_ all over their bodies."

I know this is a serious matter, but I had to laugh. "Somebody captured male slavers and dropped them off on Dathomir…a planet where women rule and men are servants. I'm sure their arrival didn't go over well with the local population."

Luke nodded with a chuckle. "If they are truly members of the Karazak slave syndicate then their captors enjoy irony, but we need to know for sure. Jedi Har'shi senses deception from these men, but they could be common criminals—wanted men—who have a reason to disguise their identify, but who are now victims of a cruel game. Dathomir isn't far from Felucia. Meet up with Jedi Har'shi and see if you can confirm these are our slave masters. I'm sending Ben out there to interrogate them. I want to know the connection between the Void Jumpers on Karazak, the Vong Void Jumpers in that holovid and the Galactic Alliance before the Chief-of-State and the GA security get involved and these men are whisked off to some Mega-Security facility never to be seen again."

"I'm on my way." I disconnected the transmission and plotted a course to Dathomir.

.

.

**_Entry 57_ **

I arrived on Dathomir later that day. I did a flyby over the Singing Mountain Clan village and spotted a cargo ship sitting in a grassy field about a kilometer away. A handful of witches were milling around the large ship, two were riding dangerous looking Rancors while another rider-less animal stood at the tree line waiting for its master. A witch standing near the cargo ship looked up and waved as I circled the area trying to determine the safest place to touchdown. I decided on a location as far away from Rancors as possible.

I landed at the far edge of the field and powered down. One witch wearing a very un-Dathomiri looking flight suit and a lightsaber sauntered over to my location. I popped the canopy and jumped down. "You must be Jedi Har'shi."

She was a tall, light skinned human with thick, wavy brown hair and piercing green eyes. I think I have seen her a few times in the temple, but we were years apart in our training. She was a fledgling apprentice when I earned my knighthood. I took off my flight helmet and tossed it up and into the ship cockpit before turning and offering her my hand in greeting. She looked down at my hand and hesitated before glancing back to her sister witches.

I grinned as I dropped my hand back to my side. "I get it. They don't think you should lower yourself by consorting with a male."

She blushed and blew out a breath. "Dathomiri customs are hard to change. They are not happy that I left to train with men." She smiled shyly. "Thank you for understanding Jedi Tantiss. I am honored by your presence. I have heard a great many things about you."

I inwardly groaned. I really hope she is talking about my Jedi skills and not my horrible, ill-gotten and totally undeserved reputation as a womanizer. "All good, I hope."

When she blushed a deeper red I knew she had heard some awful rumor from my past. "Of course, Jedi Tantiss," she lied smoothly. "There are very few Jedi with the gift of divination." She turned and led me to an old TL-1200 freighter that appeared to have sustained major damage to the flight deck.

I pointed to the destruction. "I was told two ships landed. Did the crew of the other ship do that?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "It was that way when we arrived. We assume it was done on purpose, but we might be mistaken. Hopefully, you could tell us what transpired here."

"I'll certainly do my best…but psychometry is unpredictable." We walked up the back loading ramp and entered a wide corridor leading to the cargo hold. The first thing that hit me was the smell of perspiration and urine. The second thing to assault me was the angry shouts of men. The cargo hold was dimly lit with most of the overhead glow panels damaged and nonfunctional. As my eyes adjusted I could make out the outlines of the imprisoned men. All sixty-three had their hands and feet shackled and secured to the bulkhead in an uncomfortable standing position…and all were butt naked. I looked over to my fellow Jedi. "Were they nude when you found them?"

An incredulous expression crossed her face. "Of course, why would we disrobe them?"

Now it was my turn to blush. "Sorry, that was a stupid question. I'm just wondering why anybody would strip them of their clothing."

"To strip us of our dignity!" Came a booming voice from among the shackled men. I looked over and saw a large bearded human covered with body graffiti professing his occupation as slaver and a few other epithets thrown in for extra measure. "We are innocent miners ripped from our homes. When we refused to work for the slavers they decided to punish us in this manner."

I walked over to the spokesman for the prisoners. He glared at me arrogantly despite the fact that he was standing in a puddle of his own urine.

"On what planet were you captured?" I asked.

"Secunda 6, in the unknown region."

"Who did this to you?" I reached out and grasped the chain securing the man to the wall and concentrated, searching for images from the past connected to this inanimate object.

The leader spoke, answering my question, but his words were distant and then gone, replaced by a vision. I could see these men forced into the hold and secured…but I couldn't see the men who imprisoned them. I closed my eyes as my brow furrowed in confusion. The captors had to have touched the chains, so why couldn't I see them? These men didn't shackle themselves. I let go of the chain, stepped back and examined the deck looking for a location not contaminated with excrement. When I found a clean patched I walked over, knelt and touched the ship's deck. Once again I could not see their abductors.

What I could see were these men discussing their fate and when their captors left them on this planet they frantically concocted a story claiming their innocence. None wanted to face a slave running conviction. There was no question in my mind that these men were part of the Karazak slave syndicate.

I opened my eyes and stood.

Jedi Har'shi walked up to me. "Did you see something?"

I motioned for her to follow me out of the hold. The men howled for us to return and release them, but I ignored their pleas. They were animals and deserved to be tied up as such…at least for a little bit longer. "They are the slave masters…but I couldn't see who did this to them. It could have been a slave uprising and the freed slaves left them here. If they knew the reputation of the Dathomiri women," I paused for a moment not wanting to offend my fellow Jedi. "I mean…your reputation for…ah being fierce fighters."

Jedi Har'shi raised a hand to stop my stammering. "I know our reputation. Many believe we enslave our men, which is not true. They are born into their place in society. We don't go off-world and take men. Our males are family. They are our clan's fathers, sons and brothers. They work in the fields for the betterment of our society. They are not mistreated."

I tried to remain expressionless during Har'shi's heartfelt proclamation, but I am sure I couldn't fully conceal the slight roll of my eyes. What she described sounded like slavery to me…but I am not going to say anything to irritate a group of Rancor riding witches when I need their cooperation. Besides, members of the GA Sentient Species Rights Committee met with dozens of clan males over the years and none expressed any desire to leave. Because of this, the Galactic Alliance has turned a blind eye to Dathomir's custom of misandry. "Of course, but if they misunderstood your culture and believed you held men as slaves," I continued. "They might believe you would exact justice against men who are said to have enslaved women."

She chortled. "I believe the clan leaders are discussing that now. I have asked them to wait and let the Alliance handle this, but since I left Dathomir to join the Jedi my standing in this community has diminished. If my sisters come for these men, I would suggest you do not interfere. They won't kill them. They will be put to work…hard work. If the GA does come for the slavers, I believe our elders will allow them to be taken into custody and tried for their crimes."

I nodded my head, knowing I was not equipped to defend these men against a village of angry witches. "I trust your judgment, Jedi Har'shi." I turned back to the freighter. "Will the men be cleaned and fed?"

"We will do that. I told my sisters to not disturb the scene so not to interfere with your divination powers. If you are finished with your investigation, our warriors will confine them in more humane living conditions."

"Thank you."

"Jedi Skywalker is expected to be here at the end of the day. Please join me at my village for our evening meal." She motioned me to follow. I thought we were going to walk to the settlement, but instead we moved closer to a large Rancor. When the beast saw me he bared his teeth and shrieked. I could feel the creature's rancid breath waft through the air and I am fairly certain those were not raindrops pelting my forehead, but fetid spittle. "Why are we going this way?"

Jedi Har'shi pointed in the monster's direction. "This is our ride."

I stopped in my tracks. "I'm not going to ride a Rancor."

She turned and looked at me nervously. "You must. I have told my sisters that Jedi males are different. They have no fear. It would look bad if you balked at riding a Rancor. The elders might demand that I leave the Jedi."

I got a sick feeling in my stomach. It was that feeling you get when you know you have to do something you absolutely do not want to do. I sighed and moved toward the ill-tempered beast. I thought Vornskrs were bad, but this is like a dozen vornskrs sewed together, given a horrible case of halitosis and shocked with a Force Pike until they were insane with anger. I followed on the heels of my fellow Jedi until I was on the side of this terrifying creature. She grabbed a rope hanging from a saddle affixed behind the creature's head. She effortlessly climbed up and swung a leg over the saddle before motioning for me to climb. I took a deep breath and ascended as fast as I could. Twice the Rancor glared at me with a snarl, but it didn't attack…thankfully. I slid into the saddle behind Har'shi and looked for handholds, but couldn't find any.

"How do I stay on…" I started to say before Jedi Har'shi kicked her mount with her boot heels and commanded it to move. The monster roared and bounded down the road. The abrupt movement almost dislodged me from my perch and I was forced to quickly wrap my arms around the young witch to hang on.

I really hoped this thing didn't buck me off and eat me.


	20. Chapter 20

**_Entry 58_ **

I survived my Rancor ride. It was probably the most jarring form of transportation in the galaxy. My backside hurt so much I wouldn't be surprised if I broke something.

When we arrived at the village I noticed the astonished faces of the menfolk and more than one witch gave me an appraising look as they gathered together and talked in hushed tones. Jedi Har'shi had a smug air about her as she unsuccessfully tried to suppress a grin. I guess putting up a brave front helped her justify working with males. I'm glad to help, but I just wished it didn't have to be such a painful performance of male fearlessness. I quickly climbed down from the rancor wanting to put some distance between us. The monster glared at me menacingly before it bared its teeth and roared sending spittle everywhere. Wonderful. I probably have a broken tailbone and now I got a saliva shower. Vornskrs are looking better and better every minute.

My fellow Jedi Knight brought me to a small dining area located within the Singing Mountain caverns. She motioned for me to sit as she flagged down one of the male slaves…or should I say ' _male family members_ ' to bring us some food. After a few minutes a small man scurried into our chamber carrying bowls of meat and steamed vegetables.

As Har'shi and I ate our meal I noticed a number of witches stopping by and glancing into the dining chamber. After the sixth or seventh woman stopped by I asked my companion what was going on.

She looked over to the entrance where her sister-witches stood watching us. When Har'shi made eye contact with one of the witches, the woman in the doorway pointed to me and then said something in their native language of Paecian.

"No!" Har'shi responded in basic. She made a shooing motion with her hand and then continued conversing in Paecian. The women in the hall laughed and wandered away.

I gave her a curious look. "What was that all about?"

She blew out a frustrated breath. "I might have exaggerated the capabilities of male Jedi to impress my sisters." She paused for a moment. "Exaggerate is not the right word. I told my clan sisters some of the Grand Master's astounding capabilities and now they believe all male Jedi have the same extraordinary talents…and I haven't done anything to correct that assumption." She smirked. "So now the sisters probably believe you can not only do psychometric divinations but you can walk on lava, slay Sith Lords, levitate objects, do telekinesis, mind tricks, heal the sick, detoxify poison, go into a hibernation trance, mind-speak to animals, sense a person's intentions, merge your senses with other Jedi, and control the weather."

I broke out in laughter. "Is that all?" I shook my head in disbelief. "I never walked on Lava, controlled the weather or slayed a Sith Lord, but I do have plenty of combat experience and I am capable of performing most of the other skills to some degree. But, with the exception of psychometrics, I am fairly average. I'm definitely no Luke Skywalker." I looked over to another group of women taking a peek through the door. "So are they expecting me to levitate something?"

Jedi Har'shi laughed, nearly choking on her food. When she composed herself she said. "They want something to rise up."

I gazed at my fellow Jedi waiting for an explanation that was obviously not forthcoming. "What do you mean?"

A hot blush crawled across the Jedi's face. "You are considered a male witch…and that is a prized commodity here on Dathomir. The woman that spoke to me earlier was asking me if I am willing to share." She coughed nervously and averted her eyes. "They are hoping to breed with you."

"What?" I looked over to the growing number of women gathering in the hallway. I laughed with a shake of my head. "If I wasn't married, that might be a tempting offer, but I have to decline. My wife definitely doesn't share."

The Jedi laughed. "Don't worry, once Skywalker gets here they will forget all about you."

The smile slipped from my face. "What?"

Har'shi's jaw dropped in mortification. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm not saying he's more attractive than you. It's just…the Skywalker reputation precedes him and he is a redhead and redheads are perceived as very exotic on the planet. A male witch with fiery red hair is something found only in folklore."

I rolled my eyes. "It figures. Do Dathomiri witches also find pale skin and freckles alluring."

She gave me a knowing look. "You're jealous."

I leaned back in my chair ready to deny the charge but instead grinned. "Maybe a little. Ben has always bested me, but I am lucky to have him as a friend."

I turned when I heard a commotion in the outside corridor. There was the murmuring of women and then laughter, followed by Ben poking his head through the doorway. "Hey guys." He jumped when one of the women ran a hand over his shoulders. "The women are very friendly here," he said while warding off more wandering hands.

"What do you expect?" I said with a grin. "You're their version of a mythical, crimson haired, baby-making god."

"What?"

Jedi Har'shi motioned him over to the table while throwing an evil glance toward any witches lingering at the doorway. "I was telling Jedi Tantiss that the women in my clan find male witches appealing. They sire Force-strong children."

Ben blushed as he sat down across from me. "Oh. I just thought this was a very touchy-feely culture." He grabbed a steamed vegetable off a plate and popped it in his mouth before he pointed in the direction of the abandoned ship. "I landed near your StealthX. The women were removing the prisoners from the freighter cargo bay and leading them somewhere. Why are they naked?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. What I do know is I can't see who abducted them. My visions have gaps. It's like the people who did this were invisible."

Ben's eyes went wide. "Could it be a Force-cloak?"

I shook my head. "The only person I know that can do that is your father. So unless he is abducting and stripping slavers…I would guess it is something else."

"How about a mimetic suit?" Jedi Har'shi offered.

I nodded in thought. A mimetic suit can render a person invisible and I remember the Chief-of-State's mysterious encounter with a mimetic suit clad individual. "Maybe...,but I would think I'd be able to sense them through the Force, even if they were physically invisible."

"Maybe they were only invisible in the Force?" Ben offered.

I knew he was referring to the Vong shamed one. "That could be it."

Har'shi looked between Ben and I waiting for us to expand on that comment. I wasn't sure who knew about the Vong, so I decided to stay silent.

"You mean they may have ysalamiri?" Har'shi asked.

Ben nodded his head, allowing the young Jedi to make that assumption. "It is a possibility."

I decided to change the subject. "Did they make you ride a rancor to the village?"

Ben's brow rose. "No, did you?"

"Yep," I said somewhat sarcastically. "I had to prove to the village women how awesomely brave male Jedi are." I smirked. "I guess the ladies didn't want to risk their fiery-haired male witch getting eaten before he could father some children."

"Knock it off." Ben shook his head in irritation as he stood. "Let's go interrogate some of the men. I'd like to find out more about who captured them."

 

**.**

**.**

**_Entry 59_ **

Ben, Jedi Har'shi and I exited the village caverns and made our way down a hill to a Rancor corral I had seen earlier on my ride to the village.

"So," I said to Ben. "How were things on Bastion?"

Ben chuckled. "Jaina in spoiling Valla and Zylie. They have been going on dignitary tours and visiting expensive spas. Meanwhile your father—under the pretense of doing research for the Indupar Military—has finagled his way into the Imperial quartermaster supply warehouse and has been checking out their uniforms. According to your dad, the Imperials always had the best uniforms."

I shook my head. "He loves playing dress up…but anything is better than the ridiculous Indupar dress uniform he wears. I can understand why he wants to consider other options."

As we approached the corral I noticed the Rancors were removed from their hold and were replaced by the mob of captive slavers. The witches had given them rags to gird their loins, so they were no longer naked. It wasn't much, but it was better than having to interrogate naked men all day. That would be a bit awkward.

Ben glanced over to me. "You interacted with them. Is there anything you can tell me?"

As we approached the enclosure I looked for the talkative slaver I encountered earlier. Eventually I spied him pacing within the confines of the corral, glaring at the other men, and obviously looking for a weak spot in the security so he could attempt an escape. I smiled, hoping he would try. The witches had tied their mounts to the outside of the enclosure. Anybody getting too close to the fence risked becoming a Rancor snack.

I pointed to the slave spokesman. "That one there I think is the leader. He's who you need to talk to."

I eyed Ben when he chuckled. "No, that is the last person I need to talk to." We walked around the fenced in area scrutinizing the men while trying to remain out of Rancor reach. Eventually Ben stopped and stared at a small man sitting on the ground, knees up to his chest and rocking back and forth while moaning pitifully. "That's who I need to talk to."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? He looks like a nobody."

Ben grinned. "That is exactly why I want to talk to him. The leader has nothing to gain and everything to lose. He knows we won't make a deal with him." Ben gestured to the sobbing man. "That fellow is not a hardened slaver. He's either new or weak. Either way, he will break. Once we have his information it will be easier to crack some of the other low level criminals. By the time we make it to the leader we will have enough evidence to put him away forever." Ben moved to the witch guarded corral entrance before turning back to me. "Cover me with your blaster. I'm going in." He walked past the guards while unclipping his lightsaber. The other prisoners made way for my cousin until he reached the sobbing man. He bent down, talked to him and then stood and walked toward the exit. To my surprise the cowardly slaver stood and trailed behind without complaint.

"What did you say to him?" I asked as they exited the holding pen.

"I told him to follow me." He winked. "And yes, I did do a mind trick to get him to cooperate."

"If you wish to question him, there is a place in the caverns to do so," Jedi Har'shi offered. "Please follow me."

The mind trick must have worn off because the prisoner hesitated and tried to go back to the enclosure. I grabbed him by the upper arm and practically dragged him up the hill and into the cavern entrance. We followed Har'shi to a small room with a seating area carved into the cave walls. I pushed the man toward the stone bench and told him to sit.

He was nervous, twitchy and refused to look any of us in the eye. "Please don't kill me. I'm not a slaver. I'm a slave." His knee bounced up and down nervously as he began to hyperventilate. "My mother was a slave. My father was her owner. I get light work in the main office, but I'm still a slave." He started to look up from the floor, but his eyes stopped at Ben's lightsaber and then glanced back down. "I'll cooperate. I'll tell you anything you want to know." He risked a scan of his surroundings. "This isn't a Alliance facility. Why did the Jedi bring us here? Is it a Jedi dark site?"

"What?" I turned to Ben. "Do you know what that means?"

He nodded. "It is a term used for a government facility not on the record. A place where the rules don't apply." He turned back to the man. "Why would you believe the Jedi brought you here?

He raised his head but didn't make eye contact. "Because a Jedi was in charge of the men who captured us."

Ben and I looked at each other in confusion. "Was he in Jedi robes?" Ben asked.

The prisoner shook his head. "They all were in Void Jumper Armor except the pilots. The leader had a lightsaber clipped to his side. I know what they look like. I've seen action holos of Jedi Knights."

Ben rubbed a hand over his chin in thought as he paced the room. "Was the leader tall…over two meters tall with an amber lightsaber blade?"

The man shook his head. "He never ignited his saber…so I don't know what color the blade was, but he didn't look two meters tall. He was shorter than the rest of his men. He was normal height…if he was human. I couldn't tell."

"Did you hear him talk? Did he have an accent?"

The man ran a trembling hand through his greasy hair while shaking his head nervously. "They were communicating between themselves through their helmets, I think. The leader was moving his arms like a man talking. He was pointing and turning to various jumpers."

"How do you know he was the leader if you didn't hear what was being said," Ben asked.

The prisoner shrugged. "He was dressed differently. He had a gold cape." He reached up to his left shoulder. "It was clasped with an emblem of a setting sun with a curvy line beneath it. And when he pointed to a Void Jumper that guy turned and moved out. He was a leader."

"You said the pilots weren't Void Jumpers," I said. "What did they look like?"

"I don't know. They were in flight suits and had full face headdresses like the old Imperial Tie Fighter helmets."

"Do you think they were imperials?" I glanced over to Ben. I didn't think Jagged Fel was involved, but his empire might not be the only remnants of Palpatine's Empire in the galaxy.

The scrawny prisoner shook his head. "They had a sun logo on the helmet, not an Imperial crest. I've never seen it before. But I was near the front of the ship, so I heard these guys talk. They had a thick, thick Basic accent…that is when they talked in Basic. They spoke to each other in a language I've never heard before, but when they communicated over the transceiver they used Basic. I didn't recognize the accent."

"What were they saying?"

"The people communicating to them had a slight rimworld accent. They told the pilots to fly us to the coordinates given and they complimented them on a job well done. They said they did a great job for a first run."

"First run," Ben muttered before turning to me. "That means they may be going after other slave operations." He returned his attention to the slave. "Did they say anything else?"

The prisoner blew out a nervous breath. "I didn't understand what they said exactly because of their accent, but it sounded like the pilot said they ' _will swerve to the right path'_.

Ben looked to me. "Does that mean anything to you?"

I shook my head. "No. It doesn't make any sense at all."

.

.

**_Entry 60_ **

I am so glad I am a Jedi Guardian and not a Sentinel. Ben's job is BORING! He talks to a prisoner, and then he asks the man the same questions over and over. He said it is because most people can't remember the details of lies. Eventually they will trip up and then you press them to explain the discrepancies. Ultimately the prisoner gets tired of answering questions and either refuses to talk or starts telling the truth.

From piecing together all of the stories it appears our slavers were attacked a little before dawn. Two jump platforms laid down suppressive fire to soften the target before a large contingent of Void Jumpers (possibly a company of men) jumped down and began Urban Offensive Operations (often pronounced as 'U-Ops'). There was a fierce firefight, but the Void Jumper armor was impervious to blaster fire and even slug throwers didn't have much affect on them.

The people in the operational buildings were captured, stunned and while unconscious they were stripped and secured in a freighter that must have arrived after the battle. The prisoners didn't know what happened to the slaves. They woke up on the ship about a day out from Dathomir. They were given bottled water, but no food. They did not have much, if any, communication with their captors.

Ben questioned the men for eighteen hours straight and we are no closer to finding out who did this than we were at the beginning of the day. Ben was able to use some of the files recovered by his sister and Valin to positively identify the slave masters. The Alliance has been notified of their presence on Dathomir and the GA government will soon be take possession of the prisoners and also this investigation.

That is fine with me. There is nothing more for me to do here and I want to get back to Zylie.

.

.

**_Entry 61_ **

We left Dathomir today.

Ben only had one witch attempt to seduce him the night before we left. Only one, and that is surprising since he is their mythical, fiery haired, freckled face, male witch and alleged creator of Force-strong children. Ha!

He caught the young witch trying to enter his sleeping chamber late at night. He jumped out of bed and became completely flustered…so much so that I sensed the disturbance in the Force, along with Jedi Har'shi and about a half-dozen Dathomiri warrior women, all of which, came running to his room. I found him pushing the young lady out of his bedchamber as she jabbered sweet nothings to him in broken Basic. When he saw me he panicked some more. "She tried to come in and I am making her leave." He looked at me pleadingly. "Please don't tell Valla about this. I'll tell her. I know you; You'll put a spin on the story that will make me look like a cad."

I made a face. "When have I ever done that?"

Ben didn't answer. He escorted the witch completely out of his room and asked Jedi Har'shi to inform her clan sisters that he was absolutely not interested in procreating. He then pulled me into his room and shut the wooden door. "Please promise me you're not going to say anything to Valla or Zylie. If you tell her before I do it will look like I am trying to hide something." He shook his head in frustration. "Why didn't they bother you?"

I shrugged. "It's the freckles. Dathomiri women obviously are attracted to pasty skinned, freckled faced redheads."

He rolled his eyes before he sat down on his bed and sighed. "This is frustrating. We are no closer to finding out who the abductors are or if they were the Vong."

"Oh, they're the Vong," I said. "That would explain why I couldn't sense them using my post-cognitive abilities."

Ben nodded. "If they are the Vong, who do they work for?" He rubbed a hand over his facial stubble as he thought. "I can't see this as the work of a competing slaving operation. They would have sold the slave-masters into slavery. I know putting them on this planet is ironic, but slavers don't put irony above profit. And why were they stripped down naked?"

I sat down in a small chair in his room. "The leader of the group said it was to strip them of their dignity. You have to admit, it is extremely humiliating. It is too bad though. My psychometry doesn't work on living objects, but I probably could have gleaned more information by touching their clothing or personal objects."

Ben's head shot up as he gazed at me intensely. "Could that be the reason why?"

I wasn't sure what he meant by that. "What?"

"Could the perpetrators have known we have a Jedi that can perform psychometry?"

I shrugged. "I can't see that being the reason. If the Vong were the ones that stripped them and put them on the ship I wouldn't be able to sense them no matter what. Stripping them only prevented me from seeing things that the slavers did. I could have witnessed their activities and atrocities by touching their personal objects. It would have helped our investigation. If those men were dropped off on this planet so they can be arrested and convicted, and the perpetrators knew I would investigate, they are hindering their own goals."

Ben thought about it for a while. "They may be hiding their leader. He might not be a Vong. The Vong can't touch the Force and that Void Jumper with the cape had a lightsaber."

"That doesn't mean he is a Jedi. In fact I know he's not a Jedi."

Ben's brow furrowed. "And how would you know that?"

"The prisoners that saw him said the leader was about one-point-seven meters in height. All of our Jedi void jumpers are two meters tall minimum. We checked into that when we saw that holovid of the lightsaber wielding Void Jumper…the guy with the amber blade. We couldn't rule out any jump qualified Jedi based on height alone when it came to that man…but we can with this person. He is shorter than all of our Jedi Void Jumpers. He's simply a Void Jumper with a lightsaber. It may be something he picked up in an antique shop. He's probably not even a Force user."

Ben chewed on his lower lip in thought. "You might be right. Maybe the lightsaber is there to throw suspicion toward the Jedi. When Mokk Streke hears about the lightsaber, that's going to fuel his anti-Jedi sentiment more."

"Unless the Vong jumpers belong to him. According to your father, he wanted to stop these slavers for years. He might have decided doing it through the system wasn't going to work…so he is doing it off the record. He recruits the Vong shamed one, puts them in lightsaber resistant armor, and then, to divert suspicion from him, he had the Jump Commander wear a lightsaber."

Ben scoffed. "You are assuming Streke is smart enough to plan out something so intricate."

A lopsided grin crossed my face. "You're right, he's not that bright."

Ben stood and picked up his wrist chrono off the table. "It's two hours until sunrise. Do you want to get a early start?"

A wide smile blossomed across my face. "Absolutely. I can't wait to see Zylie. It's been weeks."

Ben gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Then let's pack, say our goodbyes to Jedi Har'shi and get back to the ladies."


	21. Chapter 21

**_Entry 62_ **

Ben and I arrived to Bastion, the Imperial capital planet, late the next day. It's a temperate world within the Braxant Sector of the Outer Rim Territories and is rumored to be the most fortified planet in the galaxy today. I say today because the most fortified planet was once the planet Byss…until my father and Uncle Luke accidently destroyed the entire planet with the Galaxy Gun. _Opps._ I wonder how Jag feels about having my father—the man who helped kill the last Emperor—planetside with him? The way Jag is always trying to recruit my father to join his Imperial Knights leads me to believe that there's no hard feelings.

As we entered the planet's airspace an escort of Tie-Fighters, Tie/LN interceptors and Tie/D Defenders swarmed us. I am hoping this is normal standard precautions and not an indication that my father caused some intergalactic incident on Bastion while we were away.

I glanced over to Ben who was flying his StealthX off my right wing and keyed my helmet microphone to his frequency. "Did you get this type of reception when the _Vazy Princess_ docked?"

"No," I heard Ben over the ship transceiver. "This is new. I'll try to figure out what's going on." There was a slight pause. "This is Jedi Skywalker and Jedi Tantiss. I'm transmitting our security clearance codes and requesting permission to land."

"Acknowledged," a brusque voice came over the radio. "We're transmitting the flight path to the palace docking bay. Land and remain by your ship. The Emperor's Hand will greet and escort you to your quarters."

_Huh?_

I toggled the ship-to-ship comm. "Is your mother here?"

I heard Ben scoff. "Not that I know of, and if she was, she hasn't gone by that title for over thirty years. I suspect somebody is playing a little joke on us. Either Jaina or your father."

I considered contacting our escort and asking them who the hell was the Emperor's Hand but the terseness of our communications reminded me that Imperials make lousy conversationalists…except when they are saying things like, _'Seize him!'_ or _'They blew up another Death Star!?'_

We landed our ships at the assigned docking bay and discovered it empty. I powered down my fighter and popped the canopy. I looked over to Ben who was doing the same. "No welcome committee? I feel slighted."

Ben laughed as he hopped down from his ship and looked around. "I'm sure somebody will be around soon. I know the way back to our guest quarters, but I don't want to disobey Imperial orders to wait."

As I jumped down from my ship, I could hear footsteps resonating down the corridors. It sounded like a detachment of soldiers approaching our location. Eventually a platoon of white armored stormtroopers appeared marching in a four-squad column formation. As they entered the docking bay they split into two groups. Two squads went to the right and two to the left. They must have been communicating via their helmet links because I couldn't hear any commands given as they simultaneously came to a halt and immediately performed a facing movement so the two groups now faced each other allowing four-meter space between them. I have seen this formation before on Indupar. Troops will set up in a similar manner so the king could walk down the line with troops flanking on both sides.

I first assumed they were making a passage for Ben and me to walk—sort of like a gauntlet—when I heard more footsteps in the distance. Two people entered and moved through the opening created by the troopers. Both wore Imperial Shadow Guard black robes, armor, full face masks and were carrying scary looking Force pikes. They stopped about three meters from us and announced, "All remain at attention for the entrance of his excellency, The Emperor's Hand."

At that point an imposing figure in black and red armor, flowing cape and a fierce looking full-face mask entered the docking bay. I would have been intimidated if the giant marching toward us didn't have a Vornskr pup running around him, tongue lolling out of his mouth happily and making cute yapping noises.

"Kriffer!" I yelled when I saw the animal. I could hear the Shadow guards laugh under their masks as I dropped down to a knee and snatched the runt vornskr up in my arms. He enthusiastically licked my chin as I stood and turned to face the Emperor's Hand. "Hey dad."

"Ah…you guys recognized me." He took off the helmet revealing his bushy red beard and wide smile. "I was shielding. You shouldn't have been able to recognize me." He turned to the formation behind him. "Thanks guys." The platoon of Stormtroopers relaxed and wandered off. One Shadow Guard left with the troopers while the other remained behind. My dad threw a thumb in his direction. "You wouldn't believe who I found working for the Emperor." Ben opened his mouth to answer but my father threw him a warning glance. "Don't give him any hints, Ben."

I turned to the masked man who was obviously heavily shielding himself through the Force and tried to determine his identity. When I realized who it was I was shocked. "Kyp?"

"He _is_ good," Kyp chuckled as he pulled off his helmet. His normally long graying brown hair was now cut short…not military short, but he wasn't going to be tying back those locks any time in the future.

I looked to him and then to my father. "Did you two get a job with Jag or are you both playing dress up today."

Kyp pointed to my father. "He's dressing up. When he found out you were on your way back he decided to mess with you and commandeered a platoon of my men for shock and awe."

"Your men?" I asked surprised. "You mean you are working here now? When did that happen?"

Kyp placed his helmet on top of his deactivated Force Pike and grinned happily. "The Grand Master sent me here six months ago to help Jag with his pirate problem…which has turned out to be more problematic than expected. When I was set to return to Coruscant, Jag offered me a full time job as the leader of his Imperial Knights and his Academy. It was a tough decision. I gave almost thirty years to the Jedi, but, to be honest, I was growing weary of Coruscant. The anti-Jedi rhetoric from the government and media have become frustrating. There's no anti-Jedi mindsets here, which is refreshing. I retired from the Jedi Order about two months ago. I guess you didn't notice because you are always roaming around the galaxy in that freighter of yours."

"Wait, let me get this straight. _Jag_ asked you to stay," I said in a tone that couldn't hide my incredulity. Everybody in the Jedi Temple knew about Kyp's infatuation with Jaina. I couldn't believe Jag would risk having a Force strong potential rival in his kingdom. If Zylie had some infatuated lovelorn college buddy lusting over her I would make sure he remained far, far away. "You like living life on the edge, don't you?"

I expected Kyp to feign ignorance, but he simply chuckled. "It's not like that. I'm not stupid enough to look at the Empress a nanosecond longer than necessary. I'm not here to pursue a long lost love."

"Then what are you here for."

He glanced over to me and smiled. "To protect a long lost love."

I groaned and shook my head. "You are going to end up at the bottom of a sarlacc pit."

The older man gave a snort. "The Empire doesn't have any sarlacs. They do have a well stocked torture chamber though." He laughed. "It is mainly a museum now, but I am fairly certain it could be activated posthaste if the Emperor so decreed."

"Ohh, you are so dead."

Kyp laughed before reaching out and tried to pet Kriffer. The tiny vornskr snarled and nipped at him. Kyp was lucky to escape with his fingers. My little runt is not so little anymore. When I left he must have weighed about a kilogram. Now he was probably twelve kilos. He was still a baby, but he now could probably bite off much bigger body parts. "Sorry. Vornskrs are not the cuddliest of animals."

My father motioned toward Ben and I. "We can talk more later about the pirate situation and Kyp's death wish. I bet you two want to see your wives."

I grinned. "That sounds good to me."

When you are a roaming Jedi, home is where your wife is...and it is good to be home.

.

.

**_Entry 63_ **

Ben showed me to my guest quarters since he's been on Bastion for the last two weeks living it up in the lap of luxury while I was on Felucia sweating in the barracks and listening to Kaan and Olak lie about their sexual conquests. I still had Kriffer with me. I am surprised how much I missed the pup. I guess Zylie was right—I am becoming a vornskr-person.

"There you go," he pointed to an ornately carved wooden door with gold-leaf trim. "Valla and I are in the room across the hall if you need me."

I grinned wickedly. "My plans don't involve anybody but me, Zylie and a lot of reacquainting time. You won't be seeing me for a while." I gave him a wink as I entered my room…a room that was massive! There was a living area with a holoprojector viewing area, kitchen, balcony and in the back were double doors which I suspect led to the bedroom and 'fresher. I put Kriffer down and quickly made my way to the bedchamber.

"Zylie?" I called out as I entered the luxurious sleeping area. There was an expensive looking antique four-post canopy bed in the center of the room. On either side were bedside nightstands with gold handles and marble top and off to the side were glass double doors leading out to a second balcony overlooking a scenic river and forest.

It was beautiful, but it would look much better with my sexy wife in the bed. I pulled out my comlink and called Zylie. "Where are you?" I asked when she answered.

"Talon, you're home!" she said excitedly. "I'm on the ship feeding Princess and her litter."

"I'll be right over." I clicked off the comlink and then realized I didn't know where the ship was located. I picked up Kriffer and exited the room and knocked on Ben's door.

A smirk crawled across his face when he answered. "Wow, it doesn't take you long to get reacquainted with your wife."

"Funny. She's on the ship. Can you show me how to get there?"

"Sure, Valla is there also." He closed the door behind him and gestured for me to follow.

We traversed a maze of corridors until I saw the _Vazy Princess_ up ahead. I moved at a fast clip...well, as fast as possible without jostling an easily excitable predatory animal held in my arms. I moved up the ramp and down to the cargo hold. When I entered, I was immediately hit by the musky odor of vornskrs…lots and lots of vornskrs. Zylie and her sister were inside placing small bowls of feed into medium sized kennel cages lining the bulkhead. Each cage was occupied by one of Kriffer's littermates. When Zylie noticed me she squealed, ran over and gave me a big kiss while trying not to suffocate little Kriffer pinned between us. Ben gave Zylie a wave before rushing over to be with Valla.

"I'm sorry we didn't meet you when you landed," Zylie said. "Your dad said he'd meet you." She motioned toward the caged vornskr pups. "My dad is arriving on the _Wild Karrde_ sometime tomorrow to take the pups. We had to make sure they were cleaned, caged and ready for their journey."

"Good," I said curtly. "This cargo hold smells like Rancor skat."

She laughed and then took Kriffer from my arms. "Let's get you cleaned up and ready for your new home."

"What?" I asked surprised. "You found a home for the runt?"

She nodded almost apologetically. "Yes. You said they all had to go."

I was really shocked at the level of disappointment I felt. "Oh."

She gave me a knowing look. "You want to keep him don't you?"

I shrugged and denying the accusation. "No…I mean unless you want to keep him."

She sighed sadly. "Princess rejected the runt. She she won't tolerate his presence. We can't keep the two."

"And I guess giving Princess back to your father is out of the question?"

She blew out an irritated breath. "Yes, it's out of the question."

I frowned. "Alright. Who's he going to?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Dad had put out word that he had vornskrs available and he was contacted by an anonymous buyer ready to pay top dollar for all the pups." She paused. "I think it is somebody either on Hapes or Bastion because the buyer knew exactly how many pups were in the litter…something dad didn't advertise."

I thought about it for a moment. "It couldn't be Jacen or Jaina. They would have told us if they wanted them." An awful thought crossed my mind. "Could somebody be purchasing them for death fights?"

Before Zylie could answer her sister came up behind her and carefully took Kriffer from her arms. "Doubtful, Talon. Whoever purchased the litter paid three times more than our father usually gets for the animals. Why spend all that money unless you were going to breed or train them for security work?" She waved us off. "I'll take care of cleaning up the runt. You two haven't seen each other for weeks. Go get _reacquainted_ ," she said with a wink. I glared at Ben who obviously told Valla what I said earlier, but I decided I didn't want to waste time with a retort when I could be embracing Zylie.

"Thanks Valla." I grabbed Zylie up in my arms and gave her an amorous kiss. "Come on. We got a lot of catching up to do."

.

.

**_Entry 65_ **

Zylie and I didn't leave our quarters until the next day when her dad came to get the animals. I said my goodbyes to Kriffer. The little guy whimpered, cried and then gave a heartbreaking mournful howl as he was taken off our ship and transferred to the _Wild Karrde_. Hopefully he will put given a nice home.

Force! I can't believe I am getting all choked up about a stupid vornskr.

Zylie was disappointed that her parents couldn't stay more than a few hours, but they were paid extra to deliver the animals as early as possible. It's probably for the best. Kriffer can sense Jedi. Vornskrs hunt through the Force and he had to sense I was nearby. Once he is away from Force-users he will probably be less distressed. I hope.

.

.

**_Entry 66_ **

We all had dinner with the royal family today. The last time I saw Jaina was at my wedding and since that time she has given birth to her second son, Thorne. I remember cringing when I heard that name. On its own it is a fine surname…but his brother is named after his father. So if you called the two boys you would be yelling, "Jagged, Thorne!" It's sounds like you are warning somebody to watch out for a razorburr bush.

Both Valla and Zylie were gushing over the infant…especially Valla. She brought the chubby cheeked baby over to Ben and said, "Isn't he so cute?! Don't you want one?" Ben appeared a little panicked and mumbled something about, "We'll talk about it later."

Zylie did the same thing to me, but with different results. I said, "Yes, I would love a baby with you. In fact, a whole bunch of them. Let's move to Indupar to be near my parents and we can make enough kids to form a smashball team."

Hearing that, my father, who was sitting across the table, raised his drinking glass in a salute. "Here, here! You're mother would be thrilled to babysit grandbabies."

Ha! That got Zylie backing down right away. It's not like I haven't mentioned settling down to be near my son and starting a family of our own. As Zylie returned the baby to a nanny, Emperor Fel turned to address Ben and me.

"I've seen some news reports about those alleged slave masters on Dathomir. According to the _Coruscanti World News_ the Jedi have been invading the Slave Syndicate and stealing their property. Rumor has it the Jedi are forming a slave army to attack the Galactic Alliance Senate and assassinate the Chief-of-State."

I laughed so hard I almost choked on my food. "The _Coruscanti World News_ reports rubbish. I should know…I've been the focus of many of their slanderous news reports."

"You mean you didn't sell you man-seed to the _Corellia Institute of Assisted Reproduction_ so they can make a clone army of Jedi warriors?" Jaina said nonchalantly without so much as looking up from her dinner plate.

"Is that a real story?" When Jaina nodded, I groaned and shook my head. "No, I didn't. I also don't suffer from Formicophilia or any other weird fetish that they claim." I could feel my cheeks heat up. I was really glad their oldest son wasn't at the dinner table with us.

Jaina chuckled under her breath. "I don't believe the rumors, but I would worry about what is being said about the Jedi. It used to be the anti-Jedi sentiment was restricted to the less-than-reliable media groups, but now some of the mainstream news organizations are picking up the stories. The reported slaves masters on Dathomir are telling anyone willing to listen that the Jedi were the ones who kidnapped them from their headquarters, hauled off their slaves to parts unknown and then dumped them off on Dathomir where they were met by three Jedi who subjected them to excruciating mind probes."

I sat forward in my seat. "Jaina, you know that's a lie."

"We both know it's a lie," Jag said pointedly. "It's the public you need to be concerned with. The Grand Master needs to quell these rumors. The general population is easily swayed by propaganda."

"So you think that's what it is," Ben chimed in. "Propaganda? Disinformation with the express purpose of discrediting the Jedi Order?"

"And possibly initiated from within the government," Jag commented. "We've been monitoring chatter over the Galactic Alliance secure communications. It has become progressively more negative toward the Order. Just because you know it is all bantha skat doesn't mean the common people don't believe it."

"Our operatives on Hapes have also reported anti-Force rhetoric," Jaina interjected.

"Wait," I said with a wave of my hand. "The Empire spies on the Galactic Alliance and the Hapan government…on your own brother?"

Jaina made a dismissive gesture. "I spy on the Hapan government because most of the surviving royals appear intent on killing the Queen, my brother and my two nieces."

That made sense.

"Do you have the same problem?" Ben asked.

Jag shook his head. "I control the media." He grinned. "Therefore they love me, my beautiful Force-strong wife and children."

I would laugh if Jag weren't so damn serious. I guess it is good to be emperor.

"Tenel Ka has to deal with the other royals," Jaina explained. "If she muzzles reporters the lesser royals will spin the story so it looks like she is hiding something. It is simply easier to let the deceptive stories get out to the public and then disprove them. We don't have other royal families we need to tiptoe around."

"Speaking of Hapan Royals," Jag said while staring at my father. "Jacen told me the Queen had requested an audience to your young apprentice, but King Marcus has denied all requests. Why is that?"

I looked to my father, wondering why he didn't tell me about this.

My father frowned as he put down his knife and fork. "Emperor Fel, I think you know why the King does not wish to meet with Jacen, Tenel Ka or the princesses."

That caught my attention. I know exactly why he wants to avoid Jedi or former Jedi…because they could sense he is my son. Why would the Emperor know this?

I glanced over to Ben who looked just as confused. My father sat back in his chair and glowered at Fel. "You and I both know they want to meet King Marcus because is a royal male close to Allana's age and they are looking to arrange a marriage."

"What!" I shouted in surprise.

"Don't be so shocked, Talon," Jaina said softly. "In royal families these things are arranged years in advance. He is a Force-strong male of Royal descent and someone who probably won't seek to assassinate the princess weeks after a wedding…like most Hapan royal males would. I think they would make a cute couple."

"That _is_ disturbing," I replied before I could censor myself. Allana and Marcus were cousins, but I quickly remembered the Fels didn't know that. I hope they didn't get suspicious at my outburst.

"They wouldn't be consummating the marriage until they were adults," Jaina pointed out.

"Talon doesn't like to hear about people's lives bartered away like they were chattel…even if they are royalty. You have to remember he just got back from investigating a slaving operation. He is a bit sensitive," my dad explained, trying to excuse my obvious disgust. He looked to me, "By-the-way, why do you think the slave masters are trying to pin the blame for their capture on the Jedi. The Order wasn't involved, was it?"

My dad was changing the subject and I was thankful for that.

"No, the Jedi only got involved when somebody dumped them off on Dathomir, but the slavers claimed they were captured by void jumpers and one of them had a lightsaber."

My dad's eyes went wide. "A lightsaber. Who was it?"

Ben shook his head. "Nobody knows, but we do know it's not a Jedi Void Jumper because he was shorter than our troopers. He was reportedly average height."

My father looked shaken.

"What's wrong Dad?"

He used his napkin to wipe his mouth before standing. "I…I need to talk to the Grand Master about this. The Emperor and Empress are correct. This propaganda against the Jedi needs to be curtailed immediately, especially if somebody is out there impersonating somebody from within the Jedi Order."

Ben started to stand. "Do you want me to accompany you when you talk to my father?"

Dad waved him off. "No, you, Talon and your wives should enjoy your meal and each others company. After I talk to your father I'm going to contact Kira. I've been away from my wife a bit too long. I think it is time that I make arrangements to return home."

My father excused himself and left the dining room at a fast past. It would be nice to see my father and uncle Luke working together on something. After that fiasco on Myrkr with Darth Jacen, things hadn't been the same between the two.

Hopefully this means the _Vazy Princess_ will be hired to return him to Indupar. I would like to see my son and my mother. It has been too long.


	22. Chapter 22

**_Entry 67_ **

After dinner I went to my father's quarters to talk. He came to the door wearing an Imperial flight suit and a big grin on his face. I rolled my eyes. "Another outfit?"

He looked down at his form fitting black uniform. "Kyp has been teaching me to fly a Tie Fighter. I have a lesson to go to."

"So we're not going back to Indupar?"

My father stepped out of his room and motioned for me to follow him. "Not today. I wanted to see your mother and Marcus, but it turns out Marcus won't be back to the palace for another week. I thought I'd stay and investigate the pirate situation some more."

I glanced over to my father as we walked down the palace corridor. "What? Where's Marcus?"

"I think he is in the southern region of Indupar. Don't worry he's well protected. He turns thirteen in a couple months. This is a special birthday for him. As the leader of the State religion he will undergo a confirmation ceremony. I guess at the age of thirteen he is officially a man. Prior to confirmation he has to take a pilgrimage to all the holiest sites on Indupar. That's what he's been doing for the last few weeks."

I blew out a frustrated breath. "One of us should be with him, keeping him safe."

My dad chuckled. "You mean the boy who can walk through Force-fields and cut down an enemy general and his security force without breaking a sweat? He is a child, but he's well trained. He can defend himself. But I have to admit the growing cult surrounding him has me concerned. I never trusted religious fanatics."

I grabbed my father by the arm and made him stop. I looked around the empty hallway making sure we wouldn't be overheard. "What has happened since I last saw him? What cult?"

My dad frowned as he ran his fingers through his beard. "As King, he's always been the leader of the Church of the State, but his little stunt on Ec Pand has convinced a growing sect within the church that he is of holy decent…the child of the _Great Creator_. He is the _Guardian_."

I had to laugh. "Dad, unless there's something somebody is not telling me…he is not the son of any god."

"That's an understatement." My dad cracked a smile. "You have to remember, the public doesn't know he used technology to beat the energy field protecting the Nagi general. All they saw was their boy king doing the impossible—walking through a supposedly impenetrable force field, defeating an enemy general and his security staff singlehandedly, and then leading his armed forces to victory against these ruthless invaders."

"I can understand how that looks, but does it matter what a small group of fanatics think?"

"Talon, if people think you are immortal there is always somebody wanting to prove that idea false. We don't need people taking potshots at him to see if he bleeds. Plus, religions have a way of taking on a life of their own. The next thing you know, his followers are beheading anybody they perceive as sacrilegious."

That was a horrifying thought. "Is he encouraging this belief?"

My dad shook his head. "No, he hates it. He just doesn't know how to correct the perception without divulging he has the technology to defeat a Force barrier." He gave me a slap on the shoulder and continued down the hall. "Are you upset about Tenel Ka wanting Allana to meet Marcus?"

"Yeah," I lowered my voice to a whisper. "They're cousins."

My dad nodded. "I know, but that is not why the Queen Mother, Ema and I have kept the two apart. I informed them that Jedi could sense family connections through the Force. Ema and the Queen would like to keep his heritage a secret a bit longer. Otherwise neither is adverse to the idea."

I made a sound of disgust. "They're children. Why would Ema consider this an option for Marcus?"

"Well, marriages between second cousins is completely acceptable in most cultures, especially royals. If he marries a lesser Indupar royal there is always a chance that the bride's family will attempt to assassinate the king." My father paused in thought. "The same goes for Tenel Ka's daughter. The Hapan culture is ruthless and dysfunctional. If Allana marries any Hapan royal she will be in danger…especially if certain facts about Jacen's involvement with Lumiya come to light."

"I never thought about that." I said softly. The public knows that Lumiya was the person who delivered the biological weapon to Hapes that targeted and killed many of the royals. What they don't know is Jacen was Lumiya's apprentice for a short time. And, although my father never officially came out and confirmed my suspicions, I always suspected the plague was Jacen's idea.

I gave a shudder. "Nope, I don't care. The thought of those two together is way too unsettling for me."

"I understand completely. Hopefully this arranged marriage talk is just talk." We stepped into the fighter wing docking bay where we found Kyp inspecting the exterior of his Advanced X1 Tie Fighter. He smiled and gave me a wave as we neared. "Talon, are you going to take a lesson?"

My brow rose as a large smile crossed my face. "Can I? I always wanted to fly one of these!"

.

.

I changed into a flight suit and for the next hour Kyp gave me a crash course on how to fly a standard Tie Fighter, which he assured me was easier to handle than the X1's.

I was flying a training model that was equipped with ground proximity warning alarms and an automatic anti-crash system (if the fighter is working properly). If I came into a landing too fast or steep the ship's computer takes over and makes sure I don't splat on the ground. It also helps pilots navigate through debris or asteroid fields.

After a quick lesson I was up in the air screaming through the atmosphere and feeling very vulnerable. I like to have a little more metal between the vacuum of space and me. I was happy to learn the Jagged Fel's Empire actually equipped these ships with some shielding and an ejection seat. That wasn't always the case. The Tie Fighter pilots of old had a motto: _No Shields, All Guts._

"Let's go out to where the last possible pirate sighting was reported," Kyp's voice came over the radio. He transmitted the coordinates which fortunately wasn't too far way. I have awesomely powerful twin ion engines, but no hyperdrive.

It took almost an hour of flying before we reached a patch of empty space where, two days earlier, a cargo ship sent out a distress signal before disappearing. The initial rescue party found some debris and one body indicating the ship had a breach, but the freighter was gone.

"If your men recovered any of the debris I can see if I sense anything from the items through the Force," I told Kyp.

"We sent a recovery ship to get the body, but by then the smaller debris had floated away. The body was the largest object, making it easier to find. The other stuff was kitchen utensils and some clothing. Probably the galley bulkhead was pierced and some unlucky crewmember was pulled out before the ship was stolen. We don't know the fate of the other five crew members."

We were about to turn around and return to Bastion when something caused my crash prevention system to activate and jerk me sideways. A brownish/black blur whizzed past me missing me by centimeters. "Dad, Kyp watch out! I almost hit what looked like a small asteroid."

"That wasn't a rock," Kyp called back. "It's circling us. Well, it's circling Mark."

"Don't…" my father started to say before Kyp targeted the object. A laser burst shot out and hit the port side of the craft. It jerked and shuttered before streaking off toward a planet in the distance. "Kyp, maybe you should let this one go," my dad called out over the radio. "I have a bad feeling about it."

"Hell no. This could be a pirate ship." He activated his X1 engines and took off in pursuit.

My dad turned his ship and followed. "Talon, your ship is a trainer. It isn't equipped with weapons. Go back to Bastion."

"No way. I'll hang back, but I'm coming with you."

My father didn't say anything, but I could feel his frustration though the Force.

"I think I damaged it…whatever it is," Kyp called out. "It's descending to that planet."

"Does it have a breathable atmosphere?" my dad asked.

"Yes, but it's uninhabited. It doesn't have any water, just extinct volcanoes and lava tubes. It's worthless when it comes to colonization."

We followed the odd round ship down through the planet's atmosphere. The alien craft zigzagged over the rocky terrain until disappearing into a large cave opening. "Don't follow it," my father warned. "It could be a trap."

After a long pause, Kyp agreed. "We'll set down and walk in. We have our blasters and I have a thermal detonator on board."

We landed near the cave entrance and proceeded to enter the cavern on foot. The air was dry with a metallic taste, but breathable. Luckily the gravity was a little less than standard, so I didn't have to breathe heavily to traverse the cave system. After a short trek the tunnel dead ended in a large chamber where we found the alien craft hovering.

We warily approached the strange object. It was round with what looked like wings protruding from the top and bottom. I didn't see any view ports…that is until it swiveled around revealing what looked like a giant eye in the center of the sphere.

I stopped in my tracks, but Kyp walked forward at a less-than-cautious pace. He had his blaster in hand and was aiming at the thing when a flash of blue lightning shot out from the craft and knocked him off his feet. I ran up to help him, but was hit by an excruciating shock of energy. I have never experienced Force lightning like my Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara did, but they described it to me and I am fairly certain that is what hit me. I was propelled back by the blast and landed on the ground hard causing me to see stars. I ended up groaning on my back with my body twitching uncontrollably. As my dad ran up to check on us, I was sure he was its next victim, but surprisingly he wasn't attacked.

"What the hell hit me?" Kyp moaned as he crawled away from the spacecraft.

"Force lightning," my father explained.

"How does a ship spit out Force lightning?" I asked my dad. He reached down and pulled me into a sitting position causing a gut-wrenching sensation of vertigo.

"Because that isn't a spaceship. It's a Sith Meditation Sphere. Its name is _Ship_."

Kyp rolled on his back and stared at my father wide-eyed. "And how the hell would you know that?"

My father turned to the spacecraft. "It told me."

"What the kriff are you talking about?" Kyp said while trying to catch the breath that was knocked out of him earlier. "I didn't hear it say anything."

The hardened look on my father's face told me he knew something he didn't want to discuss. "You didn't hear it because it was talking to me, not you. It thinks I'm Sith."

My dad walked to Kyp and helped him to his feet. He looked at my father warily. "Why does it think you're Sith?"

"Because of what Palpatine did to me."

A blank expression crossed Kyp's face before it was replaced by a look of understanding. "When the Emperor Reborn tried to possess your body, right? I remember."

"I never got rid of his darkside stain on my soul." My dad's voice was low and strained. "Did you bring that thermal detonator?"

Kyp nodded as he pulled it out of a side satchel. "What are you going to do?"

My father motioned towards me. "Help Talon out of here. I need to have a little chat with my Sith friend."

I didn't want to leave, but Kyp grabbed me by the upper arm and practically dragged me out of the cave. I would have fought to stay but the jolt of lightning made thinking a chore and my muscles were not responding like they should.

When we reached the cave opening I heard a loud explosion followed by a plume of dust shooting out of the tunnel.

I remember screaming for my father before I passed out.

.

.

**_Entry 68_ **

I don't know how long I was unconscious, but it couldn't have been too long because the dust hadn't fully settled from the explosion when my eyes fluttered open. I rolled to my side and saw Kyp lying next to me. His eyes were closed, but I could see the rise and fall of his chest. I slowly sat up and checked myself for injuries, but couldn't find anything worse than some abrasions on my hands...along with a throbbing headache. I crawled over to Kyp and shook him, trying to rouse him awake. "Kyp, get up. We need to find my dad."

When he didn't respond I rose to my feet and stumbled over to the cave opening. Reaching into my pocket I pulled out and activated a glowrod and held it up high over my head, illuminating the tunnel. In the distance I could see rubble where the cave roof collapsed and heard the sound of labored breathing. I moved forward and noticed a human shaped lump on the ground. "Dad!"

I ran to him on shaky legs. He was lying on his side, one leg partially covered with rubble, but overall he looked intact. "Dad!" I checked his vitals and found a strong pulse, but I couldn't get him to open his eyes. I decided to focus my efforts on digging him out from under the debris. As I freed my father's leg I heard a voice coming from the cave entrance.

"Talon?"

I waved my glowrod. "Here Kyp! I need help with my dad."

The Imperial Shadow Guard limped to my position and knelt down next to my father. He held a hand over my dad and I could feel the Force flowing from him. After a minute he dropped his hand and frowned. "I don't sense any broken bones or contusions."

"Could the overpressure from the blast have knocked him out?"

Kyp chewed his lower lip in thought. "Maybe, but Mark said this thing was a Sith entity. If it was a living creature, when he killed it he could have been hit by a dark side burst of energy. When your Aunt Mara killed Joruus C'baoth he released enough energy to blow a hole in the side of Mount Tantiss. If I remember correctly she was unconscious for a day or more."

I didn't like the sound of that, but I was comforted by the thought that it was survivable. Hopefully my father will regain consciousness soon. I heard a cracking above and felt a gravely dust drift down from the ceiling and land on my head and neck "We need to get him out of here before the entire roof comes down." I rolled my father onto his back and picked him up from under his arms. Once I pulled him away from the rubble, Kyp grabbed his ankles and using the Force moved my one-hundred-and-twenty-five kilogram father down the tunnel and out of danger.

Kyp made an astonished whistle when we lowered him to the ground. "Good thing we are Force-users, otherwise we would have had to use an industrial winch to drag him out. He weighs more than a Wookiee!"

I chuckled. "True. My dad always believed he was genetically altered to be an Imperial Sentinel for C'baoth. It that's true he was the runt of the Sentinel cloning litter."

"Hopefully the Imperials have a bacta tank big enough to hold him." Kyp pulled out his comlink from his flightsuit pocket. "Jaxus, what's your ETA?"

"Less than fifteen minutes, Sir."

"Try to make it in ten. Have your medics standing by. Master Tantiss is unconscious. It could be a concussion." He turned off the communication device and shoved it back into his pocket before looking back to me. "Before we landed I called in for support. Knowing you and your dad's propensity for getting in trouble, I thought it prudent. Fortunately, Imperial shuttles have hyperdrives, unlike our Tie Fighters. We'll get him help soon."

"Thanks." I turned my attention back to my father who was breathing easier, but was still unconscious. I held the glowrod to his face and gently pried an eye open with my fingers. His iris contracted to a pinpoint when exposed to the light, which I interpreted as a good sign. I may not be a doctor like my brother, but I have watched enough medical holoshows to know involuntary responses to stimulation are what doctors look for in a patient. I gazed back to the cave. "What do think about these recent developments? What's a Sith Meditation Sphere doing here?"

Kyp shook his head. "I don't know. We're going to have to wait until your father wakes up and ask him what he knows."

I remained silent. Kyp assumed my father would gladly divulge all knowledge when awake…but I have my doubts. My father has refused to discuss his Sith knowledge for decades…even to the Grand Master. He once told me, _'Knowledge is power and some power is too dangerous to become known.'_ I don't think he has any reason to hold back information, but if he does, I'll probably never know. My dad has his secrets and he likes to keep them.

I endured the longest fifteen minutes of my life waiting for that shuttle. During that time all attempts to rouse my father failed. When the shuttle did arrive my dad was quickly assessed by the medic, rolled onto a backboard and then transported to the ship via a hover-stretcher. I wanted to join my father on the shuttle but Kyp told me I would probably just get in the way, and besides, somebody had to fly my Tie Fighter back to Bastion.

During the hour flight back I was fretting over my father's condition, when I realized I needed to let my family know what happened. I activated my ship-to-ship radio. "Kyp, can this Tie-Fighter's transceiver reach Coruscant or to my mother on Indupar?"

"Yes," his voice rang out over my speakers. "Push in the code 0611 when prompted and then the transmission code. The signal will be transmitted and rerouted through holonet satellites, so it won't be encrypted. You should be able to get a hold of just about anybody, though."

"Okay, thanks." My first call was to my brother. He's a healer, he might be able to help my dad. When I couldn't get a hold of him at his quarters, I tried the the Temple infirmary. The orderly that answered told me he was he was off planet, but if I wanted to wait he would try to track down my brother's contact information. I declined and decided to contact my mother instead. When I inputted the code for her quarters I was given a computer message saying my call was being forwarded and to please hold. After about twenty seconds my mother's face appeared on my fighter's small communication screen. I squared my shoulders and steadied myself to give my mother the bad news. "Mom…" That was all I got out before she burst out crying.

"How's your dad?" she managed to say between sobs.

I was taken aback by that question. "I don't know. How did you know something happened?"

She shook her head sadly. "I can see it in your face."

"I think he is going to be okay, where are you?"

"I'm on a royal Indupar shuttle on the way to Bastion."

Now I was completely confused. "What? Wait. We are talking about something that happened about a half hour ago. It takes time to requisition, refuel and prep a royal shuttle. When did you leave?"

She took in a deep breath. "We left two hours ago."

"Who's we?"

She looked to her right to somebody off the screen and then back to me. "Is this line secure?"

"No, but don't worry…that answers my question." I knew Marcus was most likely on board. I also knew he was probably aware that my father and I were going to encounter that Sith sphere probably days or weeks before it happened. For all I know this tour of the galaxy was probably for the expressed purpose of running into and killing that Sith sphere. The question is why would he put my father in danger? Was my father the only person who could kill that thing? Did my dad know what he was walking into? I somehow doubt it. He tried to warn Kyp not to follow it.

I need to have a long discussion with Marcus when we were reunited. I have grown tired of the H'drachi seers gazing into the _Time Stream_ and kriffing up my life and the lives of my family.

"Mom, I'll talk to you when I get back from Bastion and can send you an encrypted message. What I can tell you is dad is unconscious, but it doesn't look serious."

My mother nodded as tears streamed down her face. It was then that my hot anger turned into a cold, icy fear. Months ago, when mind-witches captured me and Ben, my mother and father weren't concerned and didn't travel to Kuat to look for me. They knew I would be all right, because the seers told them. For my mother to be bawling and for Marcus to travel to Bastion where Jaina or Kyp could detect him as my son…something unforeseen must have happened.

"Mom…what is going on?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I'll talk to you when we get there."

I cursed the fact that this line was not secure. "I'll see you then."

I turned off the transceiver and stared at the blank screen for a long time.

_'I have a very bad feeling about this.'_


	23. Chapter 23

**_Entry 69_ **

When I finally arrived at Bastion my father had been in the Royal Palace's infirmary emergency room for almost thirty minutes. I was expecting him to be either in a bacta tank or up and awake and joking with the doctors. I was horrified to discover he was still unconscious. I rushed to his side and gazed at my dad lying in bed and wearing nothing but a grey hospital gown. Overall, he didn't look too bad. He did have some cuts and scrapes, but his breathing at least appeared normal.

"Is he in a coma?" I asked the middle aged Imperial doctor leaning over my father and scanning him with some sort of medical device.

The man straightened and placed the scanner in a side pocket of his scrubs. "To be honest, I don't know what is going on with him. There is an incredible amount of brain activity…excessively so. I see no damage to the brain that would indicate a reason for his unresponsiveness. There is no reduction of blood flow to the brain. His blood pressure is stable and there is no sign of brain hypoxia. There is also no indication of poisons, anesthetics, or seizures."

Kyp came into the room and stood next to me. "Could this be a trance?"

The doctor shrugged. "You would probably know better than I would. I'm no Jedi healer and the only Imperial-Knight healer on planet is still in her first year of medical school. If you think this is Force related I'd suggest you bring in somebody experienced in these things."

I nodded. "I will contact my brother, Jaden. He's a doctor and Jedi Healer." My gaze ran over my father's prone body and and noticed the leg I freed from the rubble was lying at an odd angle.

The doctor noticed my gaze and pointed to the limb. "There was some damage to his ankle. I'm going to have my intern take it off so we can fix it."

"What!" Kyp gasped. "You're going to amputate!"

I put a hand on Kyp's shoulder. "It's his cybernetic leg," I said with a chuckle. "Stang, you don't have much confidence in Imperial medicine."

Kyp blushed. "I forgot he lost that leg in a conflict."

"I sometimes forget too." I threw a thumb toward the door. "I need to contact my family."

"Damn," Kyp muttered. "The Emperor mustn't have notified Ben or he'd be here along with your wives."

"That's okay." I stepped toward the door. "I'll go back to my quarters and let everybody know."

I hoped I could get ahold of Jaden this time because I needed him on a fast ship to Bastion.

After a few calls to the Jedi Temple I finally contacted my brother on Corellia where he was attending a medical conference. The first words out of his mouth were, "How's dad?"

I frowned. "Who told you about dad?"

My brother ran a hand through his brown wavy hair and sighed. "Mom did. It was right after she talked to you. She's on her way to pick me up. I'm right along their hyperspace route. I should be there by the end of the day or early tomorrow morning. Meanwhile I'll contact dad's attending physician and have him send me what information he has on his condition."

"He told me dad's prosthetic leg was damaged and everything else looks good with the exception of him being unconscious. He did say dad has an excessive amount of brain activity." I paused for a moment. "Kyp thinks he might be in a trance. Could dad have put himself into a healing trance?"

Jaden chewed his lower lip in thought. "It could be. Mom said dad was near an explosion, but didn't elaborate. What happened?"

"We came upon a Sith Meditation Sphere. We cornered it in a cave. Dad decided to kill it. That thing injured Kyp and me. I was barely conscious when Kyp pulled me out of cave. Then dad set off a thermal detonator while he was still inside."

Jaden cringed. "Ouch. Blast wave compressions are extremely dangerous in an enclosed space. The doctor might not see any impairment yet, but sometimes it may take hours for damage to be realized." He must have noticed the concerned look on my face because he quickly tried to steer the conversation to a more upbeat tone. "But if dad used the Force to shield himself from the blast, he's probably fine. Did the doctor mention any tympanic membrane damage…you know, his ears? Those are the most susceptible part of the body to blast waves. If those are intact then he probably didn't sustain much damage. Dad's a fighter. I'm sure he will be up and about soon."

"Okay." I looked down in thought. "Jaden…have you ever researched or talked to Aunt Mara about her injuries sustained when she killed C'baoth?"

My brother's brow went up. "Do you think dad got hit by a dark energy blast?"

I nodded.

"Oh." My brother paused in thought. "I read she was unconscious for over 30 hours. When she regained consciousness she was a little woozy, but she was fine."

I blew out a breath. "That's good to hear."

"I'll have mom call you when she gets to Corellia. You won't be able to contact her in Hyperspace." He lowered his voice. "Is your…is mom coming alone? She didn't mention who's with her."

I shook my head. "I believe she has company. It's not…prudent, in my opinion." I intentionally kept the conversation cryptic. I was told this was a secure and encrypted line, but it was an Imperial line of communication. I love Jaina and I respect the hell out of Jag, but I am still skeptical of Imperials…especially when Jag admitted he spied on the Chief-of-State and the Hapans.

My brother ran a hand over his chin. "I'll find out what is going on when mom picks me up."

"Okay. I haven't told Ben, Valla or Zylie yet about Dad's injury. I better do that before they find out from somebody else. I'll see you soon."

Jaden gave me a tentative smile. "Everything will be alright. Don't worry." He was ready to sign off, but he quickly added, "Talon, if dad is in a healing trance, don't try to wake him until I get there."

He then signed off leaving me worried despite his words of assurance.

Ben and the ladies were on some historic tour when I contacted them. Ben said they would be back shortly and I should contact his parents.

I was able to get ahold of my Aunt Mara on my room's transceiver. I briefed her on the situation and then asked her about the injuries she sustained when she killed the dark Jedi C'baoth.

"What happened to you after you got hit by that darkside blast?"

She frowned accentuating the tiny laugh lines around her green eyes. "It felt like I was hit with fire at first. I could actually feel the darkside energy passing through my body. I was unconscious for over a day, but during that time I remember having disturbing dreams. That could explain your dad's heightened brain activity." She paused thinking about it for a while. "I was fairly disorientated when I woke up on a ship's sickbay. I wasn't sure where I was. For a moment I thought I was still the Emperor's Hand, but that sensation was fleeting. I quickly recalled the events that led me to the hospital bed I was lying in. Other than a headache and some occasional bad dreams, I was in good health. He should be okay if it was just the dark Force energy that knocked him out."

"Thanks," I said with a nod. "Are you coming out here?"

"I believe so. It is something that should be investigated further. Maybe we will pry some information out of your father this time. I know he is trying to protect us by keeping any darkside abilities he gleaned from Palpatine's bodysnatching life-force prior to its eviction, but maybe the Grand Master should decide what Force knowledge should be taught and which information is too dangerous to reveal."

I glanced away from the holoprojector transceiver so my former Master didn't see the roll of my eyes. "Good luck with that."

She snickered. "Your father is stubborn, but maybe I can talk some sense into him. Luke is off planet, but he is coming back to the Temple tomorrow and we will take the _Jade Shadow_ to Bastion. Meanwhile keep me updated on your father's condition."

She then ended the communication feed.

I turned off the transceiver and shook my head. My dad wasn't going to tell the Jedi anything when it comes to darkside skills. Not after the Jacen fiasco.

.

.

**_Entry 70_ **

My Mother and Jaden arrived hours before dawn. Not wanting to wake Zylie or the others in the middle of the sleep cycle, I decided to meet them alone. They flew down to the planet aboard a small shuttle, leaving the huge Munificent-class star frigate they voyaged across the galaxy aboard in orbit above Bastion. When the shuttle landed I reached out with the Force searching for my son, but didn't sense him. A blew out a relieved breath. That's good. It's one less complication and if I couldn't sense him in space, I doubt anybody else could either.

My mother strolled down the loading ramp wearing a practical but stylish dress, heels and a tired and distressed expression on her face. I closed the distance between us and pulled her into a big hug. I miss my mother. She eventually stepped back and looked at me sadly. "How's your father?"

I sighed. "He's still unconscious." I looked up as my brother emerged from the shuttle wearing lightweight Jedi robes and lightsaber. "What are you all dressed up for? Usually you wear a suit when you go to those medical conferences."

My brother looked down at his attire and shrugged. "The Grand Master wanted me to attend as a Jedi Healer and not simply a medical doctor. I think he wants to battle some of the bad publicity the press appears determined to heap on the Jedi Order."

"Good idea." I gestured for them to follow me. "Come on, I'll bring you to dad's hospital room."

As we walked down the long corridors of the palace I leaned toward my mother and whispered. "Is Marcus alright?"

She gave a small nod. "He remained on the ship for now. It has a well-stocked infirmary. He intends on transferring your dad to the ship and return to Indupar as soon as possible."

I thought that was odd. Was there a reason Marcus…or maybe the Seers…wanted dad out of the area? "The Emperor is probably going to want to talk to dad when he wakes up. He killed something…something Sith in Jag's kingdom. They are going to want some answers, especially when it might be tied to their pirate problem."

My mother shook her head obstinately. "He's expected on the Royal frigate at daybreak."

I glanced over to my mother as we walked down the ornate marble halls. "Mom, you may be married to the man, but Fel is the Emperor. We are going to have to clear it with him."

My mother stopped and turned to me. "If Emperor Fel balks, Marcus may press the issue. Your dad and I are citizens of Indupar. The King of the Indupar Royal Crown Worlds has some say over what happens to his subjects."

I looked to my mom incredulously. "When did you get citizenship?"

She gave me a dismissive wave and continued walking. "Years ago. Your dad can't really hold a leadership position as a non-citizen."

I quickened my pace and motioned toward a side hallway. "This way." We walked in silence for a long pause. "So…you are saying Marcus is going to risk a political and interplanetary incident if Dad isn't released today?"

"I hope not," my brother muttered under his breath. "Lets check on dad before we go butting heads with Jag. He might be awake, answer whatever questions and then we're gone."

"Aunt Mara and Uncle Luke are coming here tomorrow. They are going to want to talk to dad about that Sith sphere he destroyed."

"Your father is no longer part of the Jedi Order," my mom pointed out. "Luke doesn't have any say when it comes to your dad leaving. He can question your dad by transceiver."

"I just don't understand the rush to leave."

We rounded a corner leading to my father's room when we heard blaster fire. My brother and I looked at each other before we broke out in a dead sprint toward the sound of combat. As we got closer I realized the noise was coming from my father's room. By instinct I grabbed my lightsaber and ignited it, positive that an assassin had snuck through security.

I was surprised when two stormtroopers rushed out of my dad's hospital room minus their weapons. I still had my lightsaber in hand when Kyp stumbled out of the door. He raised his hands up as in surrender. "Whoa, calm down."

"What the kriff is going on?" I demanded from the former Jedi.

Kyp looked into the room nervously. I followed his gaze and saw my father was now restrained to his bed by leather straps. I turned and glared at Kyp. "I asked you a question. What the kriff is going on?"

"Will you turn that thing off!" Kyp said while pointing at my saber. I looked at my glowing blue blade, nodded, and deactivated the weapon.

Kyp gave a relieved sigh. "Your dad started slowly regaining consciousness up about fifteen minutes ago. While in his semiconscious state he started thrashing about. The doctors and nurses managed to get him into restraints for his own protection, but when the doctor tried to give him a sedative your dad did something to him."

A sick feeling started to churn in my stomach. "Something? Like what? Is the doctor okay?"

"I don't know what he did." Kyp glanced at my father struggling with his restrains and mumbling incoherently. "The doctor is fine. Your dad didn't physically hurt anybody…but he did something to scare the medical staff. They ran out terrified."

"What did he do?" I pressed Kyp.

He gave a shrug of his shoulder. "The doctor said it was like somebody reached into his body and kicked on the _'fight or flight'_ response into overdrive. He had an overwhelming urge to get the hell out of there."

"What was the shooting about?" My brother asked.

Kyp looked sheepish. "Your dad looked like he might hurt himself or others. He wouldn't respond to verbal commands, so I thought we could stun him."

My brother rolled his eyes. "And you sent in Stormtroopers? Did you ever think that in dad's confused state he might have forgotten the war was over? He did fight against the Empire on Byss and he was in the thick of things during the Battle of Coruscant."

A hangdog expression crossed Kyp's face. "I was reacting to the situation and trying to do what was best for Mark. Don't worry, he wasn't hurt, in fact, he did something I have never seen before. He stopped the stunbolts in midair until they dissipated. Then, with the Force, he snatched the blasters out of my troopers' hands. I went in and ordered my men out and then retreated myself." He jumped when my dad let out a cry of frustration. "We have to do something. He's getting more irritated by the minute."

"I'll go and calm him down," my mother said. "He'll respond to me."

I put a hand on my mother's shoulder, preventing her from entering. "Mom, he is not in his right mind." I took in a deep breath as I made a decision "If dad is being combative, I should go. Dad and I are almost equal in the Force. I'll be able to protect myself."

Jaden made a scoffing noise. "You're equal in the Force? Dad doesn't need somebody to go in there and subdue him. You'll just make matters worse. He needs medical assistance. I'll go in and try to put him in a healing trance."

That _'make matters worse'_ comment grated on my nerves. I know I was a screw up as a teen, but I have long outgrown my propensity to find trouble. I was about to argue, but my mother put a hand on arm. "Maybe he's right. Your dad is obviously having a medical problem. Let Jaden try."

My brother gave me a wide smile that I interpreted as, _'See, even mom knows you'll kriff up the situation worse than it is.'_

He walked into the room slowly so not to startle my father. As soon as Jaden was inside the door slammed shut behind him like they do in horror holofilms. I tried to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge. I then heard something that made my blood run cold. It was the sound of restraints snapping and then the hiss of a lightsaber. Suddenly the pressure on the door released and I fell inward. I would have hit the floor if it wasn't for my brother colliding with me as he rushed out of the room. Once outside the door slammed shut again.

Jaden looked at me wide-eyed and gasping for breath.

"What happened?"

"Well," my brother said slowly as he leaned against the wall. "I…ah…I sort of made matters worse."

"What happened?"

He pointed toward the door. "I walked in and tried to talk to dad. He screamed something and then broke his restraints and then used the Force to snatch my lightsaber right off my belt."

I leaned against the wall. "Great, we have an injured and possibly delusional former Jedi with a swinging lightsaber in the middle of the Imperial Palace. I don't think it could get any worse."

Despite the seriousness of the situation my brother tried to suppress a chuckle. "It could. When he broke his restraints he tore off his hospital gown."

I closed my eyes and tried not to visualize my nude father brandishing a lightsaber. "Oh great, so it is not just a swinging lightsaber we have to worry about." I put a hand on the door latch. "I guess I need to go in."

"Oh no you don't," my mother said adamantly. "I'm going in."

"No, you're not," my brother and I said in unison.

She looked at us stubbornly. "He hasn't hurt anybody. He's just confused. I have known your father his entire life. I'm going in."

I really didn't like the idea, but Jaden motioned for me to let her go. I checked the door and discovered it was no longer held shut. "Mom, hurry in when I open the door. He may try to use the Force to slam it closed again."

She nodded and rushed into the room after I cracked the door open. I put my durasteel-toed boot into the doorjamb hoping to prevent it from slamming shut, but luckily that didn't happen. Jaden, Kyp and I watched as my mother approached my disorientated father.

"Mark," she said softly as she walked toward my father who was standing in the middle of the room, sans clothing, while looking down at Jaden's glowing lightsaber in his hand. "It's Kira. Mark, please put down the lightsaber."

He glanced up at my mother with a dull glassy-eyed stare. "What?"

"Mark, you remember me, don't you? It's Kira. Mark…come on Big Red," my mother said using one of her pet names for my dad. "Hey, _Cuddle-buddy,_ turn off the lightsaber so I can give you a big hug."

I looked to my bother and mouthed the word, ' _Cuddle-buddy'_. I've never heard that particular nickname before.

"Kira?" He focused on my mother, recognition flickering in his eyes. He looked back at the lightsaber in his hand. It wasn't pointed toward my mother, but my dad's eyes went wide in a panic. He quickly deactivated the saber and dropped it on the floor. "What's going on, Kira?" He took a tentative step toward my mother and almost fell when his prosthetic ankle twisted at an odd angle. My mother moved forward and grabbed my dad's arm stabilizing him. My dad took another shaky step before enveloping her in a big hug…a big naked hug. Ugh.

"I'll explain everything later. I want to get you out of here." My mother wrapped a robe around my father and guided him out of the room, her arm around my father's waist as he draped an arm around her petite shoulder. He was limping slightly and grinning at my mother like a lovesick teenager.

She glanced at Kyp. "I'm getting him on my shuttle and to our ship in orbit. Jaden will take care of him."

Kyp looked like he was going to protest but I put up a hand to halt his words. "Kyp, I think getting him around familiar surroundings is best. He'll give you and Jag a complete report when he's well."

To my great relief he agreed. "I'll inform the Emperor. Can I assume you, Ben and your wives will be leaving as well?"

"Yes, we'll return to Indupar with them."

I reached over to my brother and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Get dad back to the Royal frigate and I will get the _Vasy Princess_ fueled and we'll leave as soon as possible." I nodded toward Kyp. "Kyp can show you the way back."

I then sprinted back to my room to inform Zylie, Valla and Ben that their Bastion vacation was now at an end.


	24. Chapter 24

**_Entry 71_ **

Zylie, Ben and Valla were relieved to hear my dad was now awake. They told me to take my StealthX and see if I could dock with my son's Star Frigate. I hate leaving Zylie again, but I think my father needs me more. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to contact the ship, but when I finally contacted the ship's Captain I was given permission rendezvous and board. I gave Zylie a long lingering kiss goodbye and then ran off to my ship.

Thirty minutes later I was maneuvering my ship into the frigate's massive hanger. I was disappointed that my son was not there to meet me, but I can understand why. My mother was there instead, waving at me like only a mother can. She's standing alone thirty meters directly in front on my ship. There is no way I could miss seeing her...so why does she wave frantically like she is trying to signal a rescue ship?

I jumped out of my fighter and walked over to my mother and gave her a hug. "How's Dad?"

"He's in the infirmary." She motioned for me to follow her. "He's asleep. The doctor managed to give him a sedative. I think it helped that Marcus and I were there." She lowered her voice. "He almost blew Marcus' cover though once sedated. In his woozy state he reached out to him and said, "How's my boy." She chuckled. "I told the doctors he must think the King is his son, Talon."

"Can I see Marcus?"

She nodded. "I'm bringing you to his cabin. He wants to talk."

We wandered down the ship's long central corridor until we reached a large gold plated door. She pushed a button near the entry switch and said her name. Seconds later the door slid open. I stepped in and noticed my mother didn't follow. She gave me an apologetic look. "I'm going back to the infirmary. I want to be there when your dad wakes up."

She walked away as the door slid closed. I looked at my surroundings and realized I was in an enclosed entryway. I recognized it as a security room where scanners embedded in the wall could actively search for weapons. Marcus must have activated a security override because the interior door slid open despite the fact I was wearing a blaster and lightsaber.

I entered a huge luxury cabin with an opulent sitting area, dining room and three large bedrooms in the back. My son was in the center of the room sitting on an ornate couch. Across from him was a strange hairy alien with cameloid features and wearing a ridiculous looking turban on his head. Marcus stood and closed the distance between us, before giving me a warm hug. I was a little shocked by his display of affection in front of somebody, but I then realized the alien was one of his H'drachi seers. The seer stood slowly, leaning heavily on a cane. He turned toward me revealing an ancient face with deep wrinkles and gray fur. He gave me a slight nod, but remained silent.

"I missed you dad." Marcus mumbled with his head pressed to my shoulder.

"I missed you too." I kept an eye on the alien. "Who's your friend?"

Marcus stepped back and motioned toward the seer. "This is the High Seer Tobar. He knew you would want answers about what happened and thought it was best that you heard it from him."

I tried to smile at the creature, but I am sure it came out as a scowl. I have a love hate relationship with the H'drachi seers. They arranged for me to meet Marcus' mom so I could fall in love and conceive a child. They also manipulated the situation so Ema would lie to me, break off the relationship and hide the fact that I had a child. It was sheer luck—or perhaps the will of the Force—that I discovered I was a father. I hate their meddling, but without them I wouldn't have a son. I guess you can say I have mixed feelings about them.

"It is nice to finally meet you, High Seer Tobar."

The creature nodded and motioned to a chair across from him as he sat back down. "You probably have many questions, Jedi Tantiss. Please sit."

I walked over to the couch and sat down with Marcus taking the seat next to me. I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, and gave the seer a hard look. "Did you arrange for my father to walk into danger?"

The elderly H'drachi shook his head. "We didn't know about the object your father encountered. A few days ago your father disappeared from the time stream. It was then that we realized there was a problem."

"What do you mean? Did you think he died?"

The alien drew in a long breath and let it out before continuing. "No…maybe…it was hard to see. There are thousands of possible time streams. The Jedi have a saying, _'The future is always in motion'_ and it is true. We lost your father in the immediate future. There was a span of four or five days where he could not be seen. Usually when this happens it indicates a shatterpoint."

I have heard my father's theories on shatterpoints. They are nexuses in time where an action of a major significance to the galaxy will occur. My father believes clones don't belong in the natural world and their existence muddies the future making it difficult to read. He once told me that was the reason Senator Palpatine could fool thousands of Jedi. The clone army made seeing the future almost impossible. Since my father is in possession of Palpatine's memories…I have to believe what he says is true…or at least the Emperor believed it.

"So you think my dad finding the Sith Sphere was a shatterpoint that could change the course of the future? It's darkside. Does the Sphere bring destruction to the galaxy?"

"Not exactly," the alien said with a shake of his furry head. "The darkside energy that was released upon your father injured him physically and spiritually. His temporary possession by the Emperor Reborn, decades ago, continues to make him vulnerable to the darkside. We did not know what happened to him when he was in our blind spot, but in some timelines, when he finally reappeared, he was disorientated, sometimes incensed for no reason, but he recovers. In other time streams he died…and his death throws the galaxy into a civil war."

I gave him an incredulous look. "How could him dying fighting that Sith thing cause a civil war?"

The seer pointed a crooked finger in my direction. "In the time streams when war occurs, your father did not die killing the sphere. Instead, he would die at the hands of the Imperials. In his confused state brought on by the blast, he would terrorize the infirmary, and while on a darkside rampage, he is killed by stormtroopers."

"That doesn't make sense," I said. "We would know what happened. If dad got blasted while out of control we wouldn't blame Jag and Jaina. Indupar wouldn't go to war over a justified killing and the Galactic Alliance probably couldn't care less."

"Yes, yes," the seer muttered. "At first all would mourn the loss, but as the decades pass, the memories of an event change. Marcus would understand, but his children and grand children would harbor resentment. They would use a minor diplomatic incident to justify an attack on the Empire. The Hapan government, because of their close blood ties to the Fel family, immediately aligns with the Imperials against the Indupar monarchy. The Galactic Alliance tries to remain neutral, but eventually they are drawn into the war. As you can imagine, there are no winners in this type of conflict."

I ran a hand over my chin as I contemplated his words. "So, you had to keep Dad from going barvy on Bastion."

"That's why grandma was sent," Marcus interrupted. "They didn't know exactly what was going to happen on Bastion, but whenever grandma was there to intervene there wasn't a war."

I threw up my hands in frustration. "And why didn't you just tell my father not to go to Bastion?"

The seer opened his mouth to talk, but Marcus interrupted. "They don't sit around constantly keeping an eye on grandpa…but I do. When I was away on my…um…I guess you can call it a spiritual excursion, I noticed I couldn't find him and I contacted the seers and requested that they look. That is when they determined this was a shatterpoint. They always knew there was a possibility of war in the future, but with thousands of possible time streams, they weren't exactly sure what was the catalyst. It didn't help that they couldn't actually see what happened. The actions of the last few days were a blank to them."

"We noticed that there are some people who are elusive in the time stream," the seer explained. "Your father, King Marcus and sometimes you and your brother disappear from our view."

"They think it has to do with grandpa being a clone."

I nodded. "What now?" I turned to the seer. "Is my dad going to be okay?"

The seer shrugged. "There are thousands of possible time streams, but in most of them you father survives the encounter with few adverse side effects. He is a resilient man with a boundless love of family. This love grounds him and gives him great strength. It helps him remain in the light."

"You said most. What happens in other time streams?"

The seer lowered his eyes. "Sometimes fate intervenes and bad things happen to good people. Other times temptation might be too great to resist. All things are conceivable in a galaxy with endless possible futures." He stood as to leave. "I hope I have answered your questions, Jedi Tantiss."

I rose out of my seat and put a hand out, gesturing him to stay. "Wait, you have never taken the time to explain anything to me before. Why now?"

The creature stared at me in quiet contemplation before he gave a resigned sigh. "It was a matter of self-preservation. We knew you would immediately suspect us of manipulating your father, and your resentment against us would increase." He gestured toward Marcus. "You have the ear of the king. You could convince him to exile the Seers. King Marcus has shown us great hospitality. We desire to remain guests in his kingdom, therefore we decided diffusing the situation with you would be in our best interest."

I made a derisive laugh. "After all you have done to me, I should convince him to oust your furry, deceiving, butts off his planet."

The seer lowered his eyes deferentially. "It is true we have deceived and manipulated your family, but please believe me when I say it is for the greater good of the galaxy. We stood by, remaining neutral, while Palpatine brought great pain to our universe. It was then we decided to play a more active role in the affairs of the galaxy. I am being completely honest when I say we mean to bring about the best future for the most people."

"Even if it means sacrificing others…like me or my father," I said caustically.

The Seer cocked his head to the side and gave me a curious expression. "You and your father are Jedi. You swore allegiance to the Jedi order and promised to serve and protect others…even if it required the greatest sacrifice…your lives. If you had to give your life to save the galaxy, does it matter if you made the sacrifice willingly? Would you balk if you believed you were manipulated into the position of becoming a savior?"

I gave a grunt and shook my head. "No, but the problem is…I don't trust you. I rather leave the future to the Force and not in the hands of some meddling seers."

"Understandable," the seer said as he took a step toward the door. "So, in the past, if we could have stopped the destruction of Alderaan, you would have advised against it."

"No," I shook my head angrily. "I would want you to intervene."

The Seer was almost to the door when he turned and looked back at me. "You can't have it both ways, Jedi Tantiss. The seers are not the only individuals who wish to change the fate of the future, but we are the only ones doing so out of pure benevolence."

With that he was gone. I dropped back down into my seat and glowered at the door the seer exited. "I hate those guys."

My son reached over and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Did he answer your questions, dad."

"I want to know who these other people are…the ones who are also trying to change the future." I gave Marcus a sidelong glance. "And what about these future children of yours? When am I going to become a grandfather?" To be honest I was less concerned about when I would have grandchildren as much as who the mother would be. I have to admit, the talk about arranging a union between Marcus and Princess Allana was a bit disquieting.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "I don't know dad. It is impossible to see my own future. Just by looking at it in the time stream changes its course." He smiled slightly. "All I know is all my children are redheads."

"What?" I sat stunned knowing Allana had bright red-gold hair like her mother.

He tried to keep a straight face but couldn't. "I'm kidding. I know grandpa probably told you about Cousin Jacen trying to get an invitation to the kingdom."

I let out a relieved breath. "Not funny."

He laughed. "You don't have to worry either way. Allana is farther removed from me genetically than a second cousin."

I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

He gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "Grandpa's genetics were altered. His genes differ from the Grand Master. He may have started out as a Luke Skywalker clone, but he was changed. Allana is as genetically diverse from me as a fourth or fifth cousin."

That statement gave me pause. "Marcus, I have a couple questions. First off, how could you possibly know the extent of your grandfather's genetic manipulation?"

His eyes widened for a split second before he regained his composure. "It is just based on looks. Grandpa doesn't look much like the Grand Master, does he?"

That answer made sense. "Okay."

"What's your other question?"

"Allana is more like a fourth or fifth cousin…that sounds like you took some time to figure that out. Why?"

"No reason." He blushed and turned away. "Okay, when I found out my mother was considering an arranged marriage I looked up a current holo of the princess."

I waited for him to continue, but he lapsed into silence. "And…" I prompted.

He closed his eyes and gave an irritated sound. "And…and nothing." He fidgeted in his chair nervously as his calm regal façade crumpled revealing a normal twelve-year-old boy. "Dad, do I have to talk about this?" I didn't answer but continued staring at my son making him squirm some more. "Dad, I just wanted to see what she looked like and I realized she's okay looking for a girl."

I laughed out loud. "Hence the calculation of, ' _How closely related are we really_ ' began."

His face burned in embarrassment as he quickly stood. "I think I'll go see how grandpa is doing."

I decided to drop the subject and stood with him. "That sounds like a good idea."

.

.

**_Entry 72_ **

I was following Marcus down to the infirmary when we heard what sounded like my mother calling out in alarm. We ran into the sickbay only to find my father trying to pull my mom into the hospital bed with him. She was playfully screeching at his embarrassingly awkward attempt at seduction.

My brother was standing in an adjoining lab with a queasy expression on his face while he shook his head and rolled his eyes. When he saw me he pointed to my dad, "If you thought he acted like a lovesick pup in the past, he's actually gotten worse after his injury. I guess a blast of the darkside doesn't hurt one's libido."

"You're mother loves bad boys," my dad laughed, making me cringe at the suggestion.

Marcus made a face at his amorous grandparents. "Ewww," he groaned before my mother finally broke free of my father's playful grasp. She stepped away from the bed and straightened her dress while trying to keep a straight face. "Sorry, your father hasn't seen me in weeks." When my dad's hand reached out to touch hers she smacked it away. "You need to sleep."

"I can't sleep without you near me," my dad complained as he made a pitiful face.

Although the thought of my aging parents being so affectionate was disturbing, it was good to see my dad awake and not trying to kill people.

My brother walked over to my father's bedside and scanned him with some type of medical device. "I don't know how he's awake. The ship physician gave him enough sedatives to drop a bantha." He checked the readouts on the device and frowned. "His metabolism is hyped up. The drugs are being broken down too easily."

"That's okay," my father said. "I feel fine now." He tried to get out of bed but my brother pushed him back down. "Dad, you could have gotten yourself killed on Bastion. You were out of control and nobody knows why. Until we are positive you are back to normal you are staying in bed."

It looked like he was going to protest but my mother stopped him. "Mark, sweetie, you had an ignited lightsaber in your hand when I came in to see you. What if you didn't come to your senses? What if you swung that weapon?"

My dad shook his head adamantly. "I would never hurt you."

My mom gave a soft nod of her head. "I know, but please humor me and stay in the infirmary until you are cleared to leave."

My father sighed deeply, obviously not relishing the idea. My mother leaned down and whispered something in his ear, which clearly lifted his mood. "You promise," he said with a grin.

She gave him a wink. "I promise."

"Mom," I groused loudly. "Please promise _me_ you will never _ever_ tell me what you just whispered to dad?"

"That I can guarantee." She walked past me to the exit. "If you will excuse me, I have some preparations to make."

I was about to ask her, _'Preparations for what',_ but decided against it. I went over to my father's bedside and pulled up a seat. "Dad, can you tell me what happened?"

My dad nodded solemnly. "I told you it was a Sith meditation sphere. It has the ability to focus the darkside. It magnifies it." He paused and gave a shuddering breath. "I have always been plagued with darkness…and when I destroyed it and that blast of Sith energy hit me that darkness was intensified. It was disorientating."

I leaned forward and put a comforting hand on my father's forearm. "But you're okay, aren't you dad? The darkness is gone, isn't it? I mean, let me know if I can help."

He nodded as he brought his other hand to cover mine. "There is one thing you can do for me."

"Anything," I said adamantly.

His lips twitched like he was suppressing a smile. "Join me and we can rule the galaxy as father and son."

I gazed at him in shock for a second before my dad started laughing. "The look on your face. That's priceless."

My brother guffawed behind me. "He pulled that one on me earlier." He grinned widely. "You should see the look on his face when I told him _'Sure, that sounds great'_."

Marcus raised his hand. "Can I rule with you too?"

I stood and glared at my son. "Don't even joke about that. Neither of you."

"Sorry," my father said. "You worry too much. You thought I went all Sith when I was on Myrkr."

"Give me a break, Dad," I said derisively as I looked around to make sure only my family was in earshot. "You're eyes were yellow, there was a dead woman in the barracks that you admitted killing and you kept stunning Jacen with your blaster."

He gave a shrug. "Point taken."

"Plus, you are a clone developed by the crazed darksider Joruus C'baoth for the sole purpose of helping him conquer the galaxy."

"That's debatable," my father insisted. "If I was supposed to help C'baoth how come I wasn't there fighting along side of the other clone? Why was I still in stasis when they knew the assault team was coming?"

"Dad, the point is, my concerns are not without merit." I rubbed my temples where a headache was forming behind my eyes. "Dad, Uncle Luke is going to want to talk to you and I promised Kyp you would give a full report to Emperor Fel."

"There's nothing to report."

I gave him a knowing look. "The same way that there was nothing to report about your run in with the Emperor Reborn." I stepped forward and stared at my father intently. "Dad, did you gain knowledge from that sphere? Do you know anything about its origin? Does it have anything to do with the pirate problem in the Empire?"

He simply shrugged. "I saw a lot of images, but the sphere was ancient. I have no idea if anything I saw was recent."

I was surprised he actually revealed any information about the sphere. Usually he keeps silent when it comes to anything Sith. "You have to tell the Grand Master something. If you don't give a report, Luke or Mara will be on the first ship to Indupar to check up on you. I suggest we go to the temple and get this out of the way before you return home." I stepped up next to my son and whispered. "And you stay on this ship and shield."

Marcus nodded in agreement. "I'll let the ship captain know about our change of destination."

"Good, I'll get on the comm and let Uncle Luke know we are coming to Coruscant." I left wanting to get away from my father before he sensed my true intentions. I did want him to talk to the Grand Master, but I also knew if my father was still afflicted by the Darkside my Uncle and Aunt would immediately sense it. Dad seemed normal, but one can never be too careful.


	25. Chapter 25

**_Entry 73_ **

Once arriving in orbit around Coruscant, my parents, along with my brother and I, took an Indupar shuttle to the Jedi Temple docking bay. There my former Master, Mara Jade Skywalker, met us. My father was the first off the shuttle. He limped over to Mara and grabbed the Jedi Master up in a big hug. "Hey Sis," he said with a wide smile.

Despite being a Luke Skywalker clone, my father saw Mara as family far more than the Grand Master himself. Dad said it was because Mara was the first person to befriend him and she stood by his side during the most difficult time of his life. When he decided to be his own man and disguise his resemblance to my Uncle Luke he dyed his hair and eyes to be the same red and green as my aunt's. He even told people he was Mara's brother, therefore firmly establishing the Tantiss and Skywalker families as related.

My aunt smiled as she stepped out of his embrace. "I see you are still getting in trouble." She looked over to my mom. "Kira, you are going to have to put a leash on this guy."

"I'll get right on that," my mother said with a soft laugh. "But with his damaged leg, I don't think I have to worry about him straying too far while here."

Mara looked down at my father's twisted prosthetic limb and frowned. "You know we have to special order those extra large sizes." She grinned. "Unless you want a cybernetic Wookiee limb."

"Funny," my father groused. "I was told Luke wants a full debrief."

Mara shook her head. "You'll be giving me the brief. Luke is not here right now."

My brow rose slightly. I am fairly certain the Grand Master is available, but he probably thinks Mara would be the person most likely to get the truth out of my father.

"Sure," my dad said as he waved me over to his side. "Talon was there. We'll let you know everything we can." He turned to my mother and brother. "We'll meet you later at Jaden's quarters."

We followed Mara to her office where we took seats in front of her desk. "Where's Luke?" my father asked.

As Mara sat down in her desk chair I noticed a flash of worry cross her face. "He's talking to Hanna and Valin about something that happened on Ramis XII."

"Hanna and Valin?" I said questioningly. "Valin didn't put the moves on Hanna did he?"

Mara glowered at me. "No…or if he did, Hanna is not complaining. They had a run-in with that antislavery group…or whatever they are."

My father and I both sat forward in our seats extremely interested. "What do you mean by run in?"

Mara opened her mouth to answer but then closed it and instead grabbed her datapad off her desk. "I think it is easier to just show you." She pushed a few buttons on the device before passing it over to my father. I scooted my chair closer to my dad so I could see what he was watching. "This was taken by Hanna's body Holovid recorder."

We watched as the imaged captured from Hanna's recorder moved through brush and then up over a ridge. From her location she could see a battle raging between a small outpost and a large number of jumptroop ships floating overhead. I watched as dozens and dozens of jump troopers performed precision jumps to the ground below before advancing on the outpost with blasters in hand.

"We should get closer," I heard Valin's voice somewhere off camera. Hanna turned and I could see the Jedi pointing to something in the distance. "Our informant was right. They are stealing the slaves. You can see them being forced into personnel craft."

There was a roar overhead and I could see another landing craft approaching the warzone. "We've been spotted." Hanna turned and I could see Valin looking up at something overhead.

"Stang!" He unclipped his lightsaber and activated it just as a dozen jumptroopers in battle armor and full-face helmets landed around them. By then Hanna activated her blade and pointed it at the nearest trooper.

"Stay back." She flicked the blade slightly warding off the helmeted soldier.

The troopers were armed, but they didn't point their weapons at the Jedi. Instead they silently stared at her for a moment before looking back and forth towards each other. I knew those head movements. They were talking to each other via their helmet comlink.

"You all are under arrest," Valin said boldly.

I still couldn't hear a word from the troopers but by the movement of their shoulders I knew they were laughing. Finally one activated his external speaker system and conversed with the Jedi. "This planet is not part of the Galactic Alliance," the trooper said with a thick Basic accent. "You have no jurisdiction here."

"Neither do you," Hanna shot back.

This time I did hear a chuckle from the trooper. "Do you know who I am?"

"No," came Hanna's response.

"Then how do you know I don't have jurisdiction?"

Hanna turned toward Valin who gave a shrug of his shoulder. "It doesn't matter who you are. We're not going to allow you to steal slaves for your own benefit."

I could hear the distinct sound of another jump trooper descending and then the loud impact of boots on the ground. Hanna swung around to see a jump trooper with a gold cape standing to the rear of his men. "So, we can't steal slaves, but it is acceptable for the original slavers to keep them?"

Hanna's holovid shook and I realize she was probably shaking her head at that comment. "There shouldn't be any slaves. They should be free."

The man stepped forward, his troops making a hole for him to pass. It was then that I noticed the lightsaber on his belt. "Then why hasn't the Galactic Alliance freed them?" He gestured in the direction of the firefight. "That is what we're doing here. We are executing an operation that the Alliance should have done years ago."

As he moved closer I could see Valin's blade jab at the man, keeping him at bay. I was very surprised when the armored trooper backslapped the tip of Valin's blade away from him. "Don't point that thing at me unless you want a ship full of Phrik clad troopers on your ass." The man lifted his hand and showed Hanna and Valin that his gauntlet was not damaged. "Our armor is made out of Phrik infused with refined cortosis. It is impenetrable to lightsabers."

"We have more than lightsabers at our disposal," Valin hissed before reaching out a hand and Force-shoving the man back three meters and onto his butt. It was then that the other troopers moved forward to defend their leader. Valin tried the same technique on them, but nothing happened. I almost laughed when he looked down at his hand mystified…like the Force misfired. The urge to laugh quickly passed as the troopers grabbed up the two Jedi and disarmed them. Hanna was being twisted around but eventually she was facing in the direction of the leader. He stood, mumbling profanities and brushing dirt off his armor. "Okay, you got the jump on me that time." He gestured toward his men. "But as you can see your Force-tricks don't work on all of us. And unless you want to get hurt, I suggest you don't try that again."

"What are you going to do with us?" I heard Valin ask.

The mask man looked at Valin and then Hanna. "Nothing. We are leaving and you are not going to follow us. We spotted your shuttle a kilometer away and I had my men pull out some important pieces. It will eventually fly again, but it may take a few hours to repair."

"Why are you doing this?" Hanna questioned the man.

He stared at her for a long pause. "Because it should be done…and because I can. Now go home Hanna."

It was then he shot up into the sky followed by his men.

As the holovid ended I looked over to my visibly shaken father. He handed the datapad back to my aunt and cleared his throat. "Is Hanna and Valin alight?"

She took the proffered datapad and nodded. "They weren't harmed, and that's surprising after seeing the destruction at the slaver facility. Everything was burned to the ground, along with their ships."

"Were there any survivors?"

"Yes," my aunt said slowly. "There were a few casualties, but most of the slavers were stunned, but the slaves are missing."

"He must be a Jedi," I interjected. "He not only had a lightsaber, but he knew Hanna by name."

I can see my aunt chewing on her lip in thought. "The entire Skywalker family is renowned…especially the only daughter of the Grandmaster." She took in a deep breath before letting it out abruptly. Eventually, she looked up and smiled. "There is a upside to this. You two are now off the Chief-of-State's list of possible suspects when it comes to the identity of the lightsaber brandishing jumptrooper. This holovid was taken while you two were on Bastion."

My brow furrowed. "Should that even be in question? The leader is less than two meters in height. That is why we were ruled out after the first sighting."

Mara sat back in her chair. "The last sighting was based solely on eye-witnesses and eyewitnesses are notoriously wrong. It didn't definitively exclude anybody, but this holovid did. The Galactic Alliance computer experts analyzed the images and by comparing him to the background rocks and trees it was determined that this man is slightly over two meters in height. We can account for the whereabouts of every Jedi Jump trooper at that time including you two. Plus voice analysis rules out all of our Jedi."

"Voice comparisons don't work when words are processed through the communication systems of Jump Armor," my father pointed out. "Their voices are altered slightly."

My aunt gave my father a tight smile. "Why don't you keep that fact to yourself. At this point the Chief-of-State has shifted his focus from the Jedi to other possible suspects. I'd like to keep it that way."

My father nodded. "That's fine with me."

"Good." My aunt pulled a voice recorder out of her desk and activated it. "I'd like to get to your debriefing about what happened in Imperial Space."

My dad started to speak, but my Aunt interrupted. "From the beginning. I'd like to know everything that happened from the time you arrived on Bastion until now."

My dad gave a pained expression. "That's going to take a while."

"That's fine," my aunt said. "I have all day."

.

.

**_Entry 74_ **

I was surprised that my father was so forthcoming with my Aunt Mara. He told her that the Sith meditation sphere communicated with him personally through the Force because it believed he was Sith.

It is a bit disconcerting that Sith creatures—like this Meditation sphere or the Rhak-Skuri we ran into on the planet Upekzar— erroneously believe my father is a Dark Lord and obey him. I was told it is because my Dad projects a faint tinge of darkness from his temporarily possession by the Emperor Reborn. I never knew Emperor Palpatine, so I don't detect anything amiss with my father, but Aunt Mara says it is like he has a faint copy of Palpatine's Force signature superimposed over his.

Dad also admitted he was hit by a dark Force blast when the creature died. The Force energy rendered him unconscious, but while asleep he experienced visions. In these dreams he saw the sphere being used by a Sith Lord during an epic battle between Sith and Jedi. Dad said the battle must have occurred thousands of years ago because the lightsabers were of an ancient design with flexible cables coming out of the bottom of the hilt and attached to a power pack on the fighter's belt.

My father ended his tale there but my Aunt pressed him for more information.

"Mark, I heard from Kyp that you were able to freeze stunbolts in midair. Did you learn that from the sphere?"

My dad shrugged. "I honestly don't remember anything that happened in the infirmary. I remember my dreams, but not what actually occurred in that hospital room."

She nodded and I could tell she was disappointed that my father didn't know more. "I'm glad you weren't injured severely in the blast. I wish we could have captured the creature."

"No! No, you don't," my father said abruptly.

"Mark, we could have learned something from it."

He shook his head adamantly. "It was too dangerous. It magnifies and focuses dark energy. In the wrong hands a person could devastate the universe."

My Aunt Mara looked at little put out. "It would be in the hands of the Jedi. I hope you don't think Luke or I would be tempted?"

"Why would it be in _your_ hands," my father asked pointedly. "It was located in Imperial space."

Mara frowned. "Yes, but I am sure Jaina would get Jag to turn it over to the Jedi."

My father chuckled. "The Jedi are now officially under the control of the Galactic Alliance. Turning the sphere over to the Jedi is actually turning it over to the Chief-of-State. Don't be so sure that the Imperials would surrender a potentially devastating weapon to Mokk Streke."

Mara lifted one firmly arched eyebrow. "I didn't think of that." She blew out a breath and then pointed to her datapad lying on her desk. "Any idea of the identity of our mysterious Void Jumper?"

I could see my father's shoulders tense. "No."

My aunt cocked her head to the side. "Why are you uncomfortable answering that question?"

My father looked away. "Why do the Jedi want to know? Whoever this is he is doing something good."

"Mark, the man is wearing a lightsaber and is garbed in lightsaber resistant armor. And, a small army of Void Jumpers—who apparently are immune to the Force—is protecting him. Doesn't that make you nervous?"

He let out a breath. "He didn't hurt Hanna or Valin. Nobody even raised a blaster in their direction. Whoever it is…I don't think he is after the Jedi."

"Then why the phrik and cortosis armor?" my aunt asked.

My father thought about it. "The Jedi are not the only people with lightsabers. You have the Imperial Knights, Hapan Knights and Indupar is training their own Knights. Force-strong warriors are popping up all over the galaxy. Anybody with any sense would integrate saber resistant technology into their armor."

"That may be so," my aunt said as she leaned forward in her chair, "But, I think you are actually worried that the Void Jumper might be somebody you served with, am I right?"

My father heaved a deep sigh. "If the man is a GA trained Void Jumper there is a good possibility that I may know him." He threw a thumb in my direction. "Or he served with Talon. There are not many VJ units and most of us know each other…at least by reputation."

My aunt leaned back in her chair. "Can you use your contacts to see if any senior Void Jumpers have recently disappeared to parts unknown?"

My father shook his head. "I've been living on Indupar for almost four years. I have lost touch with almost all of my military buddies. I'm afraid I can't help."

Mara turned her attention to me. "How about you? Can you ask around some more?"

"Aunt Mara, I'm a Jedi. Just give me the order and I'll obey…but I have to tell you, I am not a trained intelligence agent. Also, I just spent weeks with the 33rd Void Jumper unit on Felucia and I gave you what little intel I managed to scrounged up. I'm not an investigator. In other words, I'm no Ben Skywalker."

She dropped her head in frustration. "Okay. Thanks for stopping by."

My dad stood and then looked down at my aunt compassionately. "Don't worry, Mara. The Jedi will be fine. They are trained by the best."

She shook her head and looked up at my dad. "I don't think that will be enough. The increasing scourge of Force-using criminals is diminishing public support for the Jedi. Some people want us to move the Temple to a less populated world. This way when Jedi-hopefuls arrive and are rejected they will go back to their homeworld. As it is now, people are coming to Coruscant, get rejected for Jedi training, and they stay here. They are usually young, uneducated and end up on government subsidies. They have become a financial burden for Coruscant taxpayers and a political headache for Mokk Streke."

"Then move," my dad insisted. "There must be other worlds that would love to host the Jedi."

"After seeing the surge in crime on Coruscant since the rebuilding of the Temple…I can understand any planetary government's reluctance."

"I have to admit, the criminal use of the Force is rising." My father ran his fingers through his beard in thought. "I heard the government is looking into ways to take away Force abilities from criminals. I think Jaden called it Midichlorian sterilization or Force blinding."

"What?!" I said in surprise. "I thought Jaden said the GA doctor was studying Force heritability instead."

"That changed after some Jedi-wannabe Force shoved Streke off the stage at a political rally. He wants a permanent solution to this problem." My aunt propped her elbows on her desk and buried her head in her hands. "All we need is a Jedi-hating Chief-of-State in possession of an nanovirus that can take away the abilities of all Jedi."

"Another reason to leave Coruscant," my father muttered before opening up the office door. "I would love to stay and catch up, but I promised Jaden I would stop by the Temple infirmary and let him run a number of follow-up tests." He chuckled. "I guess I gave Jaden a major scare on Bastion. He wants to make sure I am totally Sith free."

My aunt waved a hand in my dad's direction. "I'll let you go then."

I rose out of my seat and followed my dad out of the office. I glanced over to him as we walked to the infirmary. "Do you really think the Jedi should leave Coruscant?"

Dad nodded. "Yes, before it's too late."

.

.

**_Entry 75_ **

While my dad was in the Temple infirmary getting more blood drawn I talked to my brother about this Force sterilization/blinding my father mentioned.

"Do you think it is plausible to strip a person of the Force?"

My brother sighed as he stepped closer to me. "It is not only possible," he paused before lowing his voice to a whisper. "But I found out that while I was gone, Dr. J'Shan successfully completed human trials."

"What?" I gasped. "Who? A Jedi?"

Jaden shook his head. "No, a prisoner."

"Oh." I didn't know what to think. Prisoners shouldn't use the Force to commit crimes, but it must be devastating to have one of your senses stripped away. "Mokk Streke didn't tell the Grand Master he was going to human trials, did he? Isn't he worried about how the Jedi will react to the news?"

My brother chuckled. "Oh I think he put some thought into it. The first prisoner he chose to Force-sterilize was Venku Turman."

I pulled in a shocked breath. Venku Turman was a name I haven't heard in a very long time. He was the Coruscanti University rapist. He possessed marginal Force abilities which he used to mind-trick women into having sex with him and then he used a mind-wipe to make them forget all about the encounter. Unfortunately for me, during the time frame he was assaulting young women I had the misfortune of escorting a very pretty, and very drunk, Coruscanti college coed named Sara Kararka back to her dorm after a long night at the dance club. I simply ensured she got back to her room safely, but as soon as I left Turman must have snuck in and attacked her. When this young woman came up pregnant she naturally assumed I took advantage of her while drunk. I had to take a paternity test to prove my innocence.

Nobody knew about this scumbag until months later when he was Force-seducing another young lady and was caught by the girl's boyfriend. There was a vicious fistfight until the boyfriend was Force-shoved into a wall. It was then that the police realized a Force-predator was on the loose. During the fight, the sleemo left his DNA at the crime scene. Running it through the DNA databanks didn't result in a hit, but it did reveal this unknown predator was the father of Sara Kararka's baby.

Using Jaina Solo and Jysella Horn as bait, we ran a sting operation, which eventually resulted in the apprehension of the creep. He got a twenty-year sentence, which was not nearly as long enough, in my opinion.

"Well," I said slowly. "It couldn't happen to a more deserving convict."

My brother smirked. "I am sure that is exactly why Streke picked the man. He knows the Jedi have no love for Turman. Especially after the jerk acted as his own lawyer and, claiming he was possessed by a Sith Lord, subpoenaed the Grand Master himself to testify as an unwilling expert witness on his behalf."

"How can I forget?" I leaned against the infirmary wall and thought about the situation. "Is any of this legal? Doesn't the Chief-of-State need some court order to do medical experiments on people?"

"I asked the same question myself." He walked over to a lab table and picked up his datapad and pulled up an article from the Medical Law Journal before handing me the device. "He somehow had the Galactic Alliance Medical Association to establish a medical and psychiatric disease called Force-Induced Personality Disorder or FIPD. Force-users who utilize the Force for illegal and immoral reasons can be diagnosed as having this particular disease. Currently the government can compel convicts to receive psychiatric treatment if they have been diagnosed with a mental illness and they are seen as a threat to others. A psychiatrist deemed Turman as having FIPD and he was treated for his _'disability'_."

I looked over the information on the datapad and went slackjawed. "So, the Jedi could be declared as having this disease and be _treated_?"

"Not without going through a process. You have to be in jail and shown that you use your abilities for violent acts. A person in jail for nonviolent crimes wouldn't be eligible for Force sterilization."

I showed my brother his datapad and pointed out one small detail he must have missed. "It says if the Galactic Alliance is attacked by a Force-welding army martial law can be declared and the Chief-of-State has the authorization to utilize any Force muting technique to neutralize the threat…such as Force cages, Force-cuffs or Force sterilization to ensure the safety of its citizens."

My brother grabbed the device and read the story more closely. "It says it has to be a hostile army. The Jedi are not part of an army. We're an Order…and organization…and we fall under the rule of the Galactic Alliance." He looked at me wide-eyed. "Could Streke be concerned about the Imperial or Hapan Knights?" He paused for a second before the blood drained from his face. "Or the newly formed Indupar Knights?"

"I don't know." Now I was getting concerned. Streke has a nanovirus that can strip away a person's Force abilities and there is an army of Force-immune Void Jumpers running around the galaxy in Lightsaber resistant armor. This didn't look good at all. "Jaden…how was Turman given the nanovirus?"

My brother scrolled through his datapad. "It says by injection."

"Can it infect people in any other way? Like a gas?"

Jaden shrugged. "I don't see why not. The Hapan plague was found to be a weaponized nanovirus that was spread through the heating and air conditioning system in the royal palace."

I cringed at my brother's mention of the Hapan virus. Of course, I doubt Jaden has the same suspicions that I have—that our own cousin ordered the plague's release. "Great, so the Chief-of-State could spread the virus around Coruscant and get rid of his Force-user problem permanently."

Jaden nodded. "He could, but we work for him—we are a loyal and unique asset under his command. Why neutralize us? Just order us off the planet if he thinks we attract criminal Force-users."

I shook my head in thought. "I don't know. Maybe he will ask us to leave…and if we balk he has the virus as a threat. It would be one hell of a reason to get off planet."

At that time my father walked up to us and addressed Jaden with a deep frown. "You're lobotomy technician really is bad at his job." He looked down at his arm where blood was drawn. "He had to poke me three times."

My brother laughed out loud. "He's a phlebotomy technician, not a lobotomy tech. If he was a bad lobotomy technician you wouldn't be walking and talking right now."

"Whatever you call him, he's still a sadistic butcher," my father muttered.

My brother smirked. "No, that would be a meatotomy technician."

My father's brow furrowed. "What's a meat…"

"No!" I yelled at my dad. "Never _ever_ ask Jaden the definition of medical term when he's smirking."

My brother gave a disappointed shake of his head. "You always ruin my fun, little brother."

I glowed at him. "Just fill dad in on what we were talking about. I have to contact Marcus."

As I left the infirmary I reached out with the Force, searching for my son, but couldn't sense him. Of course, that didn't mean my uncle or aunt couldn't detect him. My strength in the Force is insignificant compared to that of the Grand Master or my former Master. I need to tell Marcus to return to Indupar.


	26. Chapter 26

**_Entry 76_ **

I went to my brother's private quarters and contacted Marcus who informed me that, "I'm not leaving for a couple of days, I have a meeting with Chief-of-State Streke tomorrow morning."

"What?" I said over the holonet transceiver. "What for?" I cringed after I said the words. I sounded like a father talking to his son and not a Coruscanti citizen addressing the King of Indupar. I have to remember that slicers can compromise encrypted communication lines. I must always choose my words carefully.

My son must be confident in his encryption system because he did not appear concerned. "Do you remember the negotiation team I left on Coruscant to discuss the fate of the Stygium crystals found on Ec Pand?" A smug grin crossed his face. "They were at a bit of a stand still until the Chief-of-State discovered I was in orbit and that I just returned from Bastion…he then decided to settle with my negotiation team and hand over the decommissioned Coruscanti Delta Reserve Fleet in exchange for the eighty-eight metric tons of Stygium crystals we have discovered to date. I also agreed to not sell any crystals mined in the future to anybody but the Galactic Alliance for a period of twenty years. At which point we will renegotiate terms." He smiled broadly. "I guess I was in the right place at the right time."

 _'Yeah,'_ I thought sarcastically. I suspected the Seers were behind this turn of events. "That is a very opportune development, Your Highness. May I ask, did you travel to Bastion and then to Coruscant as part of some elaborate negotiation plan?"

"No." He shook his head with a frown. "How could I? After all, it was you who requested passage to Coruscant to speak to the Grand Master. I was prepared to return to Indupar if you remember. This is just a fortuitous coincidence."

I know that coincidences rarely happen when the Seers were involved, but Marcus was right, I asked him to bring us to Coruscant.

"Anyway," my son continued. "Master Tantiss has to stay long enough to replace his damage cybernetic leg with a temporary prosthesis. I was told that would take at least a standard day or two. Plus you have to retrieve your Stealth X from our ship's docking bay. You can take the shuttle back with your parents as soon as they are ready to return."

I blew out a breath. "Do you think it is _'safe'_ to be on planet?" I was hoping he realized I was not concerned for his physical safety as much as being sensed by the Grand Master and my Aunt Mara.

Marcus shrugged. "If you recall, I have been on Coruscant before…in the temple in fact. I think I'll be safe."

I nodded slowly knowing there is nothing I could say to change my son's mind. "Good luck with your negotiations then, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Jedi Tantiss. I hope to see you again soon." With that, he cut communications.

.

.

**_Entry 77_ **

Three days later my father was fitted for his temporary prosthetic leg. It was a basic below the knee system with a shock-absorbing rod connected to a carbon fiber flexi-foot. Once my father put on his boots and lowered his pants legs the only hint that he was an amputee was a slight limp.

I traveled with my parents to my son's Frigate so I could retrieve my Stealth X. I was told the _Vazy Princess_ would be back on Coruscant in two more days. I am staying at my brother's quarters until then.

.

.

**_Entry 78_ **

I am glad my parents and Marcus are gone from the planet. All hell broke loose today. Last month, Chief-of-State Streke was reelected for a third term and was on a victory tour around the planet. He was visiting various districts that supported his campaign and had stopped at a rally in the industrial sector. It was there, in front of hundreds of holonet reporters, somebody with a blaster rifle took a few potshots at Mokk Streke. There was a lot of commotion and Streke was tackled by his security force and forced to the ground for his protection. The masked perpetrator, dressed in all black, jumped into a skyspeeder and sped away, but not before igniting and waving around an amber lightsaber. I watched it live on my brother's holoprojector in absolute shock. I may not be a Jedi Sentinel like my cousin Ben, but even I knew this was a mock assassination attempt. First of all, the blasterbolts didn't get anywhere near Streke…or anybody else for that matter. Second, the supposed "Jedi" fumbled with the lightsaber like he didn't know how to turn it on. When he finally got it ignited he almost dropped the thing. When he did get a firm hold of the weapon, he waved it around like my little niece would a toy lightsaber before flying away and 'conveniently' disappearing from an area that should be flooded with security personnel. I just knew Streke set this up and my suspicions were confirmed when most of the major media outlets immediately started public accusations against the Jedi. They suggested the Jedi were attempting a coup to overthrow the Chief-of-State. Stang! Couldn't they come up with a plot that didn't mirror Palpatine's denunciation of the Jedi Order right before the purge. This does not look good for the Jedi.

Surprisingly, Mokk Streke, tried to defend the Jedi saying, "Anybody can purchase a lightsaber. Please don't jump to conclusions."

It is an obvious attempt to deflect suspicion away from him. After all, I can't be the only person thinking this was a set up.

My Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara are livid over the public accusations that the media is heaping on the Jedi order. I know my relationship with the media hasn't always been the best, but in the last couple years the major news organizations have turned against the order…and I don't know why. I assume this is the doing of the Chief-of-State, but I have no proof of this. I guess the surge of Force-using criminals has really turned public opinion. Maybe my dad is right. Perhaps the Jedi should relocate.

The _Vazy Princess_ will dock tomorrow. Ben will probably be tasked to investigate. I imagine I will be asked to assist him. I think I will be on Coruscant for a while.

.

.

**_Entry 79_ **

I met the Vazy Princess when she docked at the Jedi Temple. The boarding ramp wasn't even all the way down before I bounded up the gangplank and into my wife's arms. Gods! It is good to be home.

After a long intense kiss she pulled away and gave me a look of concern. "What's going on with the Chief-of-State and the Jedi?"

I shook my head in disgust. "Someone is trying to stir up bad blood between the Jedi and Mokk Streke. There was an assassination attempt and then the masked shooter activated an amber lightsaber before he jumped into an air speeder and flew away."

I heard footsteps echoing down the ship's corridor and looked up to see Ben walking towards me with Valla by his side. "An amber saber like the Void Jumper had in that video with the Vong Shamed Ones?"

I nodded. "I think it is the same man. I also think he's the person attacking the slaving operations."

Ben frowned in thought. "How are these things connected?"

I shrugged. "If the Chief-of-State was intent on getting rid of the Jedi couldn't he just cut off our financial support?"

Ben thought about it for a while. "And risk the Jedi going over to the Empire? I don't think so. But, do you remember that undercover video where Streke was talking to that man in the Mimetic suit? Somebody who has sway over the Chief-of-State wants the Jedi off Coruscant for some reason. I think Streke is frantically trying to make that happen without raising suspicion. A Jedi attempt on his life would help justify banishing the Jedi from the Capital planet."

"Did you hear about the nanovirus that Streke had his scientists develop that can strip away a person's ability to use the Force?"

"My father let me know about that before I left Bastion." Ben closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "I'm supposed to report to his office upon arrival and discuss our response to recent events. Dad wants you there also." He turned to his wife and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll call you after the meeting is done and we can have dinner together."

I gave Zylie my most apologetic expression. "Sorry, Love, duty calls."

I don't like all this time away from my wife. Perhaps it is time to talk to her again about settling down on Indupar and raising a family.

.

.

**_Entry 80_ **

The Grand Master called together all the Jedi who worked on different aspects of this Vong/Slaver/nanovirus mystery. In attendance with me was my cousin Hanna Skywalker along with Valin Horn, Ben, my brother Jaden and Aunt Mara.

We were in one of the temple's many conference rooms, sitting around a long table with my Uncle Luke at the head. "Let's look at what we have discovered so far," Luke said as he clasped his hands together on the table in front of him. "We know from the Corsec video provided by Tas Yanko that a Force-user wants us off Coruscant and is pressuring the Chief-of-State to make this happen."

"So Streke starts spreading anti-Jedi rhetoric," my Aunt Mara interjected. "Then he authorized the building of another wing to the Coruscanti Penitentiary—a wing consisting of Force-cage cells."

My uncle nodded as he steepled his fingers in thought. "Later we find holovid evidence of a group of Force-void Vong soldiers training to become Void Jumpers while wearing body armor consisting of Phrik infused with refined cortosis. Armor that is impenetrable to lightsabers."

"And finally," Mara continued. "We discover Mokk Streke has not only authorized the development of a nanovirus that can kill midichlorians, but he has successfully tested the virus on a Force-strong criminal."

My cousin Hanna raised a hand before adding to the conversation. "Plus, we believe the Vong jumper troopers are now being used to attack slaving operations in the outer rim."

"So," I asked. "What is the connection? How does an anti-slavery operation have anything to do with wanting the Jedi off Coruscant?"

Aunt Mara blew out a frustrated breath. "I wish we could figure out who the man in the Mimetic suit is. He said that he and his Master had spent a lot of time and money getting Streke into the position of Chief-of-State. Everybody knows Streke is not a fan of the Jedi. If somebody wants him in charge there has to be a reason…there has to be some anti-Jedi agenda."

Ben shook his head. "I don't know about that, if you recall, the man in the Mimetic suit was very adamant that the Jedi not be harmed. He just wants them out of the way."

"And the anti-slavery Void Jumper with the lightsaber didn't harm me or Valin," Hanna added. "He just told me to go home."

Ben turned to his sister. "Could the man in the Mimetic suit and the Void Jumper that talked to you be one-in-the same?"

Hanna thought about it. "You said the man in the Mimetic suit was a Force-user. The Void Jumper…I didn't sense that he had access to the Force." She looked over to Valin. "Did you?"

He shook his head. "No, he didn't put up any resistance to my Force shove. Also, if you listen to the audio closely, when he was getting back to his feet, I heard him call me a ' _kriff'n spook'_. Why would he use a derogatory term for a Force-user if he were a Force adept himself? No, I really doubt he can touch the Force."

I groaned inwardly. Spook was a very common phrase with Void Jumpers. It looked more and more like this was a Galactic Alliance trained Jump Trooper.

"But there was something about him," Hanna continued. "He felt familiar in the Force. I think I might have met him before."

My Uncle Luke leaned forward in his seat. "Concentrate. Use the Force and try to remember."

I could see Hanna chewing on her lip in concentration before her eyes went wide and she turned toward me. "That party your mother threw after you were knighted is where I remember him. I don't know which man it was, but I believe he was there."

My jaw went slack as I frantically tried to figure out who she could possibly be referring to. "Hanna, I had dozens of Void Jumper buddies in attendance. There were at least twenty or thirty men and some I didn't even know. They were friends of my father. You would have to narrow it down a bit."

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Without opening them then said, "I think he was at your wedding."

I blew out a nervous breath as all in attendance stared at me expectantly. I shrugged and made an _'I don't know'_ gesture. "There were about three or four jump troopers that attended both events."

"Well, that's something." My uncle said as he leaned back in his chair. "Talon, make up a list and we'll check out the whereabouts of those troopers and hopefully we can put a name to our mysterious Void Jumper. Now we need to identify the Mimetic Force-user…unfortunately we have been investigating the situation for months with no results."

"There is something about that video that bothers me," Ben said slowly. He stopped and gave a sidelong glance toward his sister and Valin before shaking his head. "No…it's ah…never mind, it's nothing."

It looked like the Grand Master was going to press the issue, but decided against it. "Jaden, what is the situation with the nanovirus?"

My brother ran a nervous hand through his dark brown hair and frowned. "Not good. Streke did successfully Force sterilized one Force-strong criminal and is considering five more inmates for the procedure. There hasn't been any pushback from the public. They are tired of being victimized by criminals with marginal Force-abilities. Ninety-nine percent of the population can't access the Force and I don't think they care if that number goes up to one hundred percent."

"Can the virus only be given as an injection?" My aunt asked.

"So far," Jaden ventured. "But I don't see why it couldn't be made into a aerosol or fine powder. If that happens it could possibly be distributed all over the planet via the Coruscant WeatherNet."

My uncle groaned as he massaged his temples. "You mean to say this virus can be weaponized and distributed worldwide?"

"I don't see why not." My brother looked to all in the room. "I know we don't want to pull the Jedi out when it is obvious some nefarious element wants us off planet so they can carry out some unknown plan…but how about the children? They aren't useful in a fight. Maybe we should get them somewhere safe."

"Where do you suggest we send the younglings?" my aunt asked.

"I'm not suggesting we move them to a second facility, but maybe to friends and family off planet. I am thinking of sending my daughter to live with my parents for a while." My brother looked to me. "Talon, maybe you can take her on the _Vazy Princess_ if you are heading that way."

"Sure."

My uncle gave up rubbing his temples and now moved to massaging the back of his neck. "I'll take it under consideration. I suppose if the situation worsens we could make an excuse to suspend training of the young apprentices and have them return home for a short time…assuming they don't call Coruscant home. The older apprentices I can pair up with experienced Jedi and send them off on their trials a year or two earlier than normal, but I won't abandon the temple and let some unknown element run roughshod over the planet. Who knows what plan the man in the Mimetic suit has for the world."

My uncle stood and pointed to me. "Talon get that list of troopers and try to track them down." He looked to his daughter and Valin. "Hanna, you and Valin continue trying to track down the anti-slavers. If you see the man with the lightsaber see if you can safely engage him in conversation. Try to find out who he is." He pointed to Jaden. "Keep an eye on the nanovirus situation. Let me know if anything changes." He gave us the once over before he smiled sadly. "Let's hope we are just being paranoid and there isn't a dangerous element in the galaxy out to destroy the Jedi. Dismissed."

We all started filing out of the room but Uncle Luke stopped Ben and whispered something to him. Ben turned and grabbed my tunic as I was leaving. "Wait."

The Grand Master paused until Hanna, Valin and Jaden left the room and closed the door behind them. He then turned to his son and motioned for us to sit. "Ben," his dad said as we took our seats. "It looked like you didn't want to talk in front of Hanna and Valin. Is that true?"

Ben nodded slowly. "It has something to do with what happened on Myrkr. I know you didn't want us to mention it to anybody who wasn't there."

"Okay," my uncle said as he and Aunt Mara sat down and looked at Ben expectantly. "Go on."

"In that Corsec video, the man in the mimetic suit tells Streke not to hurt the Jedi because if he falls under suspicion the Jedi would march into his office and pull the thoughts out of his brain and then make him forget it ever happened. He said he has seen a Jedi do it. What Jedi has ever done that?"

I turned my head sharply. "Whoa, Ben, I hope you are not insinuating my dad has anything to do with this."

Ben put up a hand. "No, just hear me out." He gestured toward his mother. "Mom, you said you've seen Palpatine do that. Mark said he has memories of Palpatine interrogating people and then mind wiping them with the Force." He gestured to everybody in the room. "We've all seen Mark do it with Jacen when he had the run in with the darkside."

I was getting a little irritated with Ben. "I hope you're not implying it was me. I mean, in our little group on Myrkr only my Dad and I are big enough to be the man in the video."

Ben groaned as he glared at me. "Will you let me finish?"

I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. "Sorry, go on."

"What I was getting at is the man in the mimetic suit was describing a darkside technique. The Jedi don't do it. We are not taught it. Mark only knew how because of Palpatine's memories." He paused to take a breath before pushing forward. "Can we be dealing with a Sith?" Ben turned to me and quickly added. "And I'm not accusing you or your dad of being a Sith. I'm just saying the Jedi don't do mind wipes. So maybe the man in the suit was referring to a dark force user and not really a Jedi."

"Assuming our unknown mimetic clad man was actually telling the truth and not just trying to scare Streke," Uncle Luke added. "If you remember we did consider the possibility of a Sith when we first saw the security vid. It is still possible, but we don't have any proof."

I looked at Ben confused. "I can see why a Sith would want the Jedi off Coruscant…but if the Chief-of-State has a nanovirus that can neutralize the Jedi why wouldn't the Sith get Streke to use it against us. Why not just Force-sterilize the Jedi on Coruscant. If Streke simply orders us off planet we could always return and fight the Sith. And if there is a connection between the Mimetic suit man and the Vong Void Jumpers…why is a Sith trying to end slavery?"

My uncle heaved a sigh. "Those are good questions, Talon. Hopefully in the next few weeks we can find some answers. Meanwhile, I want you two investigating the lightsaber brandishing sniper who can't hit his target…or anything else for that matter."

My uncle and aunt stood and left Ben and I sitting at the conference table. "Do you really think a Sith is involved?" I asked.

He laughed caustically. "Well, every time things get bad for our family there seems to be a Sith around. Palpatine, the Emperor Reborn, Joruus C'baoth, Lumiya…and others."

I laughed at his reluctance to mention Darth Jacen. "Yeah…and others."

He stood and straightened his tunic. "I guess we have a mystery to solve."

I nodded and stood. "I suppose we should get on it."


	27. Chapter 27

**_47.5 ABY_ **

**_Entry 81_ **

When I returned to my ship, I decided to try to figure out the identity of the lightsaber carrying Void Jumper first. Later on I will help Ben investigate the attempted assassination of the Chief-of-State.

Hanna thought she recognized the Force signature of the Void Jumper from somewhere. After meditating about it for a moment she decided the man was a guest at both my knighting ceremony and my wedding. Unfortunately, that is all she remembers. She can't place a face. I would think remembering a face would be easier than recognizing a Force signature…but each of us has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the Force.

I looked through my holovids of my knighting ceremony party and my wedding and came up with three of my Void Jumper buddies that attended both ceremonies. All three are in current good standing with their military units and everyone could be accounted for during the time Hanna encountered the Void Jumper with the lightsaber. It was disappointing, but sort of a relief.

It was then I realized there was another connection between the two events—the Manarai restaurant, once owned by my parents, catered both parties. Could a former employee of the restaurant be the mysterious Void Jumper? Perhaps he wasn't trained in the Galactic Alliance Jump School but instead was instructed by former Void Jumpers at the same location the Vong Shamed Ones were trained.

I was in my cabin on the _Vazy Princess_ when I came up with this idea, so I decided to contact my father on Indupar to ask him.

I stood in front of my holonet transceiver, keyed my father's comm number, and waited. After a short pause the image of my bearded father appeared above the projection base.

"Hey Talon, good to see you." He had a big smile on his face…a smile that faded as I explained to him what Hanna had said and my theory about a Manarai employee being the mysterious Void Jumper.

"What do you think dad? My knighting ceremony and wedding occurred years apart. Were there any employees that were at both events?"

"Talon, your knighting was years ago. I can't remember who was on staff during that time."

"Well, do you have an records as to who was employed at the restaurant during those two party dates?"

My father shook his head. "When we sold the restaurant we left all those records with the new owner. You can ask the new manager, but usually businesses only keep records for the five-year auditing period. Perhaps some of the droids on staff maintained some records in their memory cores, but they are usually not programed to keep tabs on employees."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. "This is so frustrating. When you look at the facts, nothing adds up. And now Ben thinks a Sith is involved."

My dad cocked his head to the side. "Why is that?"

"Remember that Corsec undercover vid with Streke conversing with some person wearing a stealth mimetic suit?"

"Yeah, you mentioned it."

"Well, the guy said he had seen a Jedi pull information out of a person's head before doing a mind wipe. Since those are darkside skills Ben is sure we are dealing with a Sith."

Dad laughed. "If you recall, you and Ben have seen _me_ do that."

"Dad!" I groaned in protest. "Don't joke about that. You already have people worried about your exposure to the Sith Meditation Sphere. Hell, you can talk to Sith creatures. Let's not make comments that focus more suspicion on our family."

My dad chuckled at my discomfort. "Wow, you're a bit touchy about that subject." He looked up in thought. "I supposed a Sith might be involved. That would explain the appearance of that Sith Meditation Sphere. Maybe it was looking for its Master."

"Unfortunately for it, it ran into you."

'Yeah." My father's expression filled with uneasy worry. "Assuming there is a Sith and Streke is working for the Dark Lord, don't you think the Jedi are in danger?"

"Yeah dad, but we can't abandon the Temple and leave Coruscant to fend for itself."

He nodded in agreement. "True, but maybe you can set a trap. Somebody wants the Jedi off planet so they can do something. So leave the planet and see what happens."

I scoffed at the idea. "Yeah, and what if the plan is galactic domination? And once we leave and the Sith reveals himself, what's stopping Streke from releasing that that midichlorians killing virus if we return?"

Dad's brow creased in concentration. "What's stopping him now? He has the virus. And, according to your brother, it doesn't take much time and effort to militarize the virus for dispersion. If a Sith is truly involved he should have Streke strike now and neutralize all the Jedi."

I threw my hands out wide. "That is exactly what I told the Grand Master. None of this makes sense."

My dad ran his fingers through his beard as he often does when thinking. "Well, it would make sense if the mimetic suited man doesn't actually want to hurt the Jedi. He just wants them out of the way so they don't interfere with his plans."

"Yeah, well then his plans must be evil."

My father laughed, slow and easy. "The Jedi are thinking about interfering in an anti-slavery operation. I don't think that's an evil plan."

I stared at my father for a long pause. "Do you know something about the anti-slavery group? Do you know who the Void Jumper with the lightsaber is? Is he a Jump buddy of yours?"

My father's relaxed mood quickly disappeared. "Talon, are these questions the Grand Master wanted you to ask me? If so, he can call me himself and not use my son to spy or interrogate me."

I was so shocked by my father's change of demeanor that I actually took a step away from my transceiver. "Dad…no…Uncle Luke…"

"Your Uncle Luke doesn't trust me. He continues to blame me for a genocide that he believes he could have prevented." His eyes narrowed and jaw stiffened. "I knew the Galaxy Gun was going to be used against the Vong and I kept that a secret from the Grand Master. When Luke found out he was outraged over the wholesale slaughter of an invading race. He thought things could be worked out in another way!" My father's voice cracked with emotion. "But that's not true. General Dodonna and Madine tried using conventional weapons, but the Vong's ships just absorbed the energy. Only the galaxy gun could kill them because the missiles dropped out of hyperspace inches from their world ships. If we didn't do that…all would have been lost."

"Dad there is no way you could know how a conventional war would have resulted."

"I do know." The words came out as a hoarse whisper. "I consulted the Seers."

"What? When?"

He gave a slight shrug of his shoulder. "A few years ago. Luke's disappointment in my behavior always bothered me. It made me second-guess my decision to stay quiet. I asked the Seers if they had seen anything in alternate time streams during the time of the invasion. They said in the time streams where the galaxy gun wasn't used…trillions died. Entire worlds fell and almost all the Jedi were lost." My dad reached up and batted away a tear. "Including my entire family."

I stepped back and sat down on my bed heavily. "Dad…I don't know what to say."

"Yeah, well." He turned away from the projector. "I'm sorry that I can't help you with your investigation."

"That's okay Dad. I'll talk to you later."

I felt really bad for bringing up the subject, but as I switched off the transceiver I realized two things—first, my dad is the one who brought up the subject of the Anti-slave operation and the Vong. Second, he never answered my question. Did he know the identity of the lightsaber carrying Void Jumper?

I was going to call my father back, but decided there was no point. If my father didn't want to talk about something there is no way of getting the information out of him. Keeping secrets is his specialty.

.

.

**_Entry 82_ **

I caught up with Ben later that day on our ship. He gave me a hopeful expression upon seeing me in the galley.

"Did you figure out the identity of our lightsaber-wearing Void Jumper?"

I shook my head. "No, I examined the holo-images I had taken at both functions and looked over my wedding invitations and there were only three of my buddies that went to both events. All three were accounted for during the time Hanna talked to the man we are looking for."

Ben made a slight shrug. "Hanna could be wrong. She was young when you were knighted. She is good at Force signature recognition, but I can't believe she could remember something that happened so long ago. Now…the wedding was fairly recent. She may be right about that one…but there were so many guests. They ranked in the hundreds, plus, with the Emperor there and Tenel Ka you can add dozens upon dozens of guards. I think this is a dead end."

"What do you have on the assassination attempt?"

Ben barked out a sarcastic laugh. "I got a lot of roadblocks. I requested information about security in the area and asked to look at vid feed from various security cams and was denied. The Chief-of State's assistant told me the Coruscant Security Bureau is investigating. Since a Jedi is suspected in the crime any investigation we conduct would be automatically tainted by a perceived conflict of interest."

I blew out a harsh breath. "Okay, no official investigation, but can we at least go to the rooftop where the sniper took the shot? My postcognitive abilities may be able to pick up something."

Ben shook his head. "I thought of that and requested permission to look at the area but it has been declared a crime scene and it's guarded by two sentinel droids…you know, just in case the Jedi decided to sneak into the area and destroy evidence."

"Wow," I said with a chuckle. "Mokk Streke has all the bases covered. He really doesn't want us finding out it was a hoax, does he?"

"It looks like it. That leaves us with trying to identify the mimetic suited man. I was on the transceiver with Corsec today and requested the location of that meeting."

"Good, maybe I can pick up some post-cog visions from that room."

Ben put up a hand in a halting gesture. "Not so fast. That hotel was bought by a developer weeks after the holovid was recorded and demolished. A new building is being constructed."

"Oh come on," I groused. "It's like somebody knows we recorded that meeting and I may go there to poke around."

"Yeah," Ben said slowly. "It's like somebody is anticipating our every move." He ran a hand through his red hair and frowned. "When in deep meditation, my dad often has Force visions of the future. If we are dealing with a Sith he might be able to do that same." His brow furrowed then rose. "Especially if the Sith had a Meditation Sphere that could help him concentrate his power. It could be a Sith was using the Sphere to see into the future."

"Well, the sphere is dead now. So if there is a Sith, he no longer has that advantage. Maybe he will slip up somewhere down the line."

"We can only hope," Ben said softly. "We can only hope."

Ben's words sounded creepily ominous, so I decided to change the subject. "Where are the ladies?"

"They're arranging a cargo run to Indupar. Marcus' people ordered a shipload of repair parts. His mechanics are getting ready to renovate Delta fleet once it is delivered to the Crown Worlds."

This new subject didn't ease my mind at all. I still wonder if the Seers saw some war or conflict on the horizon that would warrant the purchase of an entire war fleet. I grabbed my coat off the dining area chair. "I'm going to see my brother. Maybe he can get me into Dr. J'Shan's office. Perhaps I can glean some information that way, especially if Mokk Streke ever went there to talk to the geneticist."

Ben nodded. "I'll go with you."

.

.

**_Entry 83_ **

My brother called Dr. J'Shan and arranged for us to visit on the pretense of assisting him in his midichlorians research.

As my brother drove us in his airspeeder to the scientist's office we discussed our strategy.

"Jaden, see if you can get us into his office. If Streke ever went to the laboratory to discuss the virus it probably would have been there."

My brother looked over to me from the driver's seat. "I don't think that would be a problem, but I really don't think Streke would divulge any nefarious plans to Dr. J'Shan. The doctor doesn't seem like a man who would work on a project to hurt the Jedi. I have a very good rapport with the man."

"Yeah, but you never know. It could be all a façade. He might be conspiring with the Chief-of-State to wipe out the Jedi."

My brother frowned as he gave me a sideways glance. "Talon, you do realize I am a Jedi. I think I'd know if he was lying to me."

I shrugged, not wanting to argue with my brother. "What exactly did you say to the man to get us in his lab?"

"I told him you are willing to give him a DNA sample. He was disappointed that I didn't get one from you the last time you visited." He glanced back to Ben sitting in the backseat. "He would like to get one from you too, Ben. He said he is starting a new phase in his research and would like to get samples from people whose parents both are Force-users."

Ben nodded. "Sure."

We fought our way thought the heavy Coruscant flight traffic and finally arrived to a huge building with a equally large sign in front announcing it was the Coruscant Genome Center, also know as the CGC. We pulled into a parking deck and Jaden led Ben and I to Dr. J'Shan's laboratory.

I have to tell you, I was impressed. I was expecting to see something similar to the chemistry laboratory at the temple, but this place had much more than microscopes and beakers. The lab was packed with high tech equipment whose purpose was a mystery to me, but I suspect they all either analyzed or processed genetic samples.

A short man with a impeccably groomed beard and short cropped white hair looked up from one of the laboratory's many machines and smiled. "Jaden." He stepped away from his workstation and moved toward us with arms outstretched in a friendly manner. "You brought me some test subjects."

Jaden grinned as he moved forward and shook the man's hand. He motioned towards me and Ben. "This is Ben Skywalker and this is my brother Talon."

Dr. J'Shan's brow rose when he heard the name Skywalker. "Ben Skywalker. I have followed your father's exploits since he destroyed the first Death Star. He's the reason I have such a fascination with the Jedi. I always wondered why some Force-users are drawn to the darkside while others stay firmly in the light. Could there be mutations in the midichlorians that makes the darkside of Force power preferable?"

Ben cocked his head in thought. "Are you hypothesizing that being drawn to the darkside might be genetic?"

The doctor grinned wildly, "I don't have enough data to hypothesize anything at this time, but wouldn't that be a wonderful breakthrough?"

"How so?" I asked.

"It could cure darkside Force psychosis without rendering a person Force sterile. If I could target only the darkside prone midichlorians while keeping the normal ones active, then I could possibly change a Force-users affiliation." He looked to Jaden. "I know there hasn't been a Sith since the Death of Lumiya, but if you ever had a Jedi go rogue, I could possibly kill the offending midichlorians and bring the Jedi back to the light." He paused before his expression took on the look of a man having a sudden epiphany. "Perhaps I could come up with a inoculation that could prevent a person from turning to the darkside in the first place."

I thought back to Jacen Solo, his short stint with the darkside, and the extreme measures the Jedi took to bring him back. Jacen was given a memory rub to make him forget ever training with Lumiya. Unfortunately, almost six years was taken from Jacen and he ended up forgetting his secret marriage to Tenel Ka and the birth of his daughter Allana. My father performed the memory rub and I know it bothers him to this day. "That would be a great breakthrough," I whispered.

"I think so, too," Dr. J'Shan said enthusiastically. He looked to me and rubbed his hands together expectantly. "Now, let's get to that DNA sample." He pointed to a corner of his lab. "Over there is good."

I looked to where he indicated and blanched. "You mean in the lab?" I looked to my brother who appeared confused at my hesitation. "Can't I go somewhere private? Maybe your office?"

"My office," the doctor said while running a hand over his beard. "Okay, we can go there."

"We?" I asked.

The doctor chuckled. "I assume you need some help."

"Why would I need help?"

Now the doctor looked as confused as my brother. "Well, I guess you could do it yourself, if you are experienced in that sort of thing. I realize we are only talking about a little prick, but most people like to close their eyes and have somebody else do the deed."

"Little prick?" I looked back to my brother. "Jaden, what lies have you been telling him?"

"What?" Jaden shook his head in frustration. "Talon, when have you ever taken a blood sample from yourself?" He motioned to Dr. J'Shan. "Let him do it."

It was at that point I realized my mistake. "Oh! You want a blood sample."

Jaden stared at me for a long moment before he started cracking up. "Damn, Talon."

Ben looked over to Jaden for an explanation. When my brother caught his breath he enlightened my cousin. "Talon thought we wanted a sperm sample."

It was then all three men burst out in laughter. "Stop laughing, Jaden. The last time you asked me for a DNA sample you were researching heritability and wanted sperm. You were complaining about that on the drive over. Why wouldn't I think that is what he wanted now?"

My brother struggled to talk, he was laughing so hard. "Sorry Talon. I can't wait to tell Jysella what you said."

I made a frustrated sound before I gestured to the doctor. "Get your syringe and let's get this over with."

The doctor nodded while still chuckling. He got me seated and was ready to insert the needle when Ben said, "Just a little prick, Talon."

The doctor started laughing again and nearly jabbed the needle in my elbow.

I am still pissed at my brother and cousin's jesting. I did find out some information about the Chief-of-State that day, but I will write about that later.

I need a drink.


	28. Chapter 28

**_Entry 84_ **

I guess totally embarrassing myself in front of the doctor has its advantages…it seemed to make the man more receptive to conversation.

After he took blood samples from Ben and me, he looked over in my direction as he placed the vials in a cooling unit and chuckled. "You have a wonderfully sardonic sense of humor, Jedi Tantiss."

Hey, if the doctor wanted to believe I was just joking and not honestly confused as to what type of DNA sample requested…then that is fine by me. I smiled broadly, "Yep, sardonic is my middle name."

The older man grinned while gesturing for us to follow him. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to you three for helping me in my research. For some reason Jedi are very wary about my experiments."

He opened a door that led to a nicely furnished office with a large antique desk and wooden shelving units built into the walls which were littered with datapads, anatomical models, jars with unknown organic material along with old fashion flimsy books.

"You can't really blame the Jedi for being wary," Ben said as he sat in one of the available seats surrounding the doctor's desk. "You did develop a virus that can render a Jedi powerless."

Dr. J'Shan frowned as he propped himself at the edge of his desk. "What do you mean? My virus is to Force sterilize criminals who have committed violent offenses. It will never be used against the Jedi." He shook his head in disbelief. "Does the Jedi Order actually feel threatened?"

My brother and I plopped down on a small couch perched against the far wall. "You do know the Chief-of-State is not particularly fond of Jedi," I pointed out.

The look of utter confusion on the doctor's face was almost comical. "What? What gave you that idea?"

My brother leaned back and made a disarming gesture. "What my brother means is Mokk Streke doesn't mince words when it comes to blaming the Jedi for the surge in Force strong criminals on Coruscant."

"Oh," Doctor J'Shan nodded. "It is true. Young people flock to the temple for a chance to become Jedi and when they're denied they find themselves stuck here. Many use their life savings to make the trip."

"That is not the Jedi's fault," Ben insisted. "It is a well known fact that we don't allow walk-ins. There is a process in place to pre-screen recruits at their homeworld. Only properly nominated, screened and accepted recruits are allowed to enter the Academy. It is the same as any government organization. Nobody in his or her right mind would show up on the doorstep of the Coruscant Military Academy unannounced and expect to gain admittance. I have no idea why people think the Jedi Academy would be any different."

"That's true, but they do show up." The doctor moved around his desk and sat down. "The Chief-of-State is very concerned about the upsurge in Force strong criminals. And I don't blame him, especially after a man with a lightsaber tried to kill him."

I rolled my eyes and made a rude snort. "Do you mean that sniper incident? "

"No," the doctor continued. "There was an assassination attempt at Streke's home. A man with a lightsaber tried to take his head off, luckily a member of his private security was with him, otherwise he would be dead."

All three of us leaned forward in our seats. This was the first we've heard about it. "When did that happen?"

J'Shan looked up to the ceiling in thought. "It was a couple weeks before I did human trials on the virus. The encounter left the Chief-of-State extremely shaken. He pushed me to move forward with human testing."

I sat back in my chair realizing Streke probably lied to the doctor in an effort to accelerate his research. I thought it was possible that this conversation might have occurred in this office, so I gripped the armrest of the couch and used my psychometric powers to gaze into the past. I saw some interesting conversations, but not the one the doctor was claiming had occurred.

"I'm surprised to hear about this," Ben said to the doctor. "Nothing was reported on the holonet."

The doctor ran his fingers through his hair nervously. I suspect he realized he might have revealed something the Chief-of-State told him in confidence. "He didn't tell the media," J'Shan said quietly. "Chief-of-State Streke has noticed the media has formed a negative bias against the Jedi and he didn't want to fuel false allegations. If they knew a lightsaber was involved they might report that the Jedi attempted to assassinate him."

My brother gave Ben a curious look. "Why would a guy who doesn't like the Jedi try to protect them?"

The doctor threw his hands out wide. "Why do you keep saying that? Mokk Streke likes a Jedi. He said a Jedi saved him from the lightsaber wielding assassin."

Ben's brow rose. "I thought you said a member of his security force fought off the attacker?"

"Oh…well, I just assumed it was a Jedi since he dueled with the assassin with his own lightsaber before killing the assailant," Dr. J'Shan looked to Ben. "Your father didn't assign somebody to protect the Chief-of-State?"

"No," Ben said slowly. "What happened to the attacker? What did they do with the body?"

The doctor shrugged. "I don't know." He looked down at his wristchrono and then to us. "I promised my wife to meet her for lunch." He stood and moved to the door. "You are welcome to join us if you like. She would love to meet the famous Ben Skywalker."

We rose from our seats and moved to leave. "No thank you," Ben said with an apologetic tone. "We have to go."

As we walked out of the building I smirked. "The famous Ben Skywalker."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Knock it off. Please tell me you used your post-cognitive abilities while in his office."

I smiled broadly. "Yes, but that conversation the doctor described didn't happen at that location. Streke has been to that office though. Some of the conversations were interesting, but nothing damning."

Ben nodded. "I guess we should get back to the temple and report to the Grand Master. He is going to be very interested in knowing about that lightsaber attack and Streke's mysterious lightsaber wielding savior."

.

.

**_Entry 85_ **

We talked to the Grand Master later that day. To say he was skeptical of Streke's claims is an understatement.

We all met in the Grand Master's office-me, Ben, Jaden, Mara and Luke. My uncle was sitting behind his desk while my aunt leaned against the wall behind him. Ben, Jaden and I stood in front of his desk while we made our report.

"Let me get this straight," my uncle started out. "Streke told Dr. J'Shan that he was attacked in his own home by a man with a lightsaber, but a member of his security force, who also had a lightsaber, killed the assailant. And then the Chief-of-State covered it up to protect the Jedi."

My aunt gave an unladylike snort and a roll of the eyes. "Streke lied to the doctor. That's obvious. The geneticist was probably reluctant to do human trials so the Chief-of-State made up a story to get the doctor to push ahead without any regulatory oversight."

My uncle sighed and leaned back in his padded chair. "That is the most likely scenario, but we shouldn't dismiss the story outright. What if the amber lightsaber carrying man did attack him?"

"Then who defended Streke?" My aunt asked. "We didn't assign anybody to protect him."

He shrugged. "Jedi are not paid well. We could have a knight moonlighting as security."

Ben shook his head. "Even if a Knight was making extra credits that way, don't you think he or she would report the attack...especially if he killed a man?"

"Uncle Luke," my brother interjected. "If it was true, where is the body? I would think that's not an easy thing to dispose of."

My aunt scoffed. "It is easier than you might think."

When we all gave her a curious look she waved us off. "Really? You don't think I made bodies disappear when I was the Emperor's Hand?"

My uncle made a face. "That may not be something to brag about."

She rolled her eyes. "All I am saying is getting rid of the body would be easy for a man of his importance and connections. If there **_was_** an assassin he's most likely a permanent fixture of a duracrete basement at some new construction site by now."

"To get a body out, he would have to smuggle a large box out of his apartment," my brother pointed out. "There are security holovids everywhere in the palace, especially in the capital wing. I think somebody would notice."

"Not unless the body was in two suitcases," I said. "If the security guard did have a lightsaber he could have cut the man in half. Lightsabers cauterize wounds. He could shoved the body in two large suitcases, had a droid bring it to Streke's private shuttle and then dump them off in the lava pits of Mustafar or the acid lakes of Maltov II. Or just shoot it out the airlock. Nobody would find the body in the vastness of space." I paused. "But I don't think that happened. The post-cognitive visions I experienced in Dr. J'Shan's office made me believe the alleged lightsaber attack never happened."

Ben turned to me. "What did you see?"

"I saw Mokk Streke visiting Dr. J'Shan after the sniper attack. He said the situation was getting worse and, now that they know the nanovirus works, he wanted it weaponized…made in a form that could be dispersed through the air." I looked to my uncle and aunt. "It just seems like too much of a coincidence that each time the Chief-of-State wants the doctor to start a new phase of his research he is conveniently attacked by a Force user."

My uncle groaned as he ran a hand over his face. "What did the doctor say?"

"He was against the idea, pointing out that that could render the Jedi useless."

"I am sure that is exactly what Streke wants," Mara said, disdain dripping off her words.

"I don't know. In my visions Streke insisted that he wanted to avoid that possibility. That is why he has been hinting for the Jedi to leave."

"Why hint?" Ben asked. "Just tell us to leave."

"The doctor asked him the same question."

"And what did he say?" my uncle asked.

"He said the public wants the Jedi gone, but it would be political suicide on his part to force the Jedi to relocate."

"Not if the public actually wants us gone," Aunt Mara scoffed. "He's full of lies."

I shook my head. "The Chief-of-State told Dr. J'Shan that he didn't want another Replo VI fiasco on his hands and I agree, it could happen."

My uncle shook his head. "What is the Replo VI fiasco?"

I was actually shocked that my uncle didn't know the story…it was the talk on military bases for months. Of course, my uncle doesn't work closely with the military, so I guess it may only be common knowledge to soldiers.

"There was a huge military base on Replo VI that was established a hundred years ago when the planet was sparsely populated. The military bought land from a local and built a giant facility to do war games. Over the decades towns popped up all around the base. Two years ago some teenagers on a dare climbed the fence surrounding the firing range and stepped on and detonated an unexploded ordnance. This infuriated the locals who demanded that all war games utilizing live ammo be stopped. They protested and marched and blocked the entrances of the base." I took a breath before continuing. "So the military complied. They found another planet with no local population and relocated to that area. At that point the population on Replo VI panicked. They didn't actually want the military to leave. They just wanted them to stop training."

"Talon," my uncle interrupted me. "What does this have to do with the Jedi?"

"When Streke says he wants to avoid a Replo VI fiasco, he means he doesn't want pushback after a decision is made. In the case of Replo VI, all the businesses surrounding the military base closed. The value of houses and commercial real estate plummeted and the Mayor who voiced the public's demands was voted out of office. Streke mentioned to Dr. J'Shan that he had his people draw up an economic impact report and it showed if the Jedi left Coruscant the tourist industry would decline twenty percent within a hundred kilometer radius around the temple. The people may not like the influx of Force-sensitive criminals, but they really wouldn't like a mini-recession if the Jedi left. He wants us gone, but he wants the Grand Master to make that decision. He doesn't want the loss of tourism to be pinned on him."

Luke looked over to Mara who simply shrugged.

"Did he say what he was going to do if we didn't leave?" Uncle Luke asked.

I shook my head. "No, that is all I picked up in the visions."

The Grand Master blew out a breath. "If he just wants to Force sterilize the general population and not the Jedi…why wouldn't he simply talk to me about his plan?"

My aunt Mara laughed at that comment. Uncle Luke gazed over to her. "What's so funny?"

"Streke knows you. If he came to you and said, _'I would like the Jedi off planet while I douse the population with a midichlorians killing nanovirus'_ …would you agree?"

"No," my uncle admitted after some hesitation.

"Of course, not," Mara said. "You would probably throw roadblocks up like contacting the Environmental Regulatory Commission. The government would probably set up a committee to discuss the plan and Streke wouldn't have a decision for years."

The Grand Master pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let us assume Streke simply wants to neutralize Force-strong criminals…why does the man in the mimetic suit want us gone? There are multiple players in this mystery and I doubt they all have the same motives. We need to find out what is going on before we act." He looked up and gazed at my brother. "Jaden, is it possible to make a vaccine for that virus?"

My brother thought about it for a moment. "I believe I can. I would have to let Dr. J'Shan know because I can't bring the virus into the temple. We don't have a containment facility."

Luke nodded before looking to his son. "I would like you to investigate this story about a lightsaber wielding attacker." He pointed to me. "Have Talon help you." He rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. "I am going have Hanna and Valin continue to track down the slavers and I will task a number of Jedi to scout out possible alternate locations for a Jedi temple. We may have to leave Coruscant eventually for our own safety."

He gave a wave of his hand dismissing us.

As we left his office I addressed Ben. "Where do we start?"

He shrugged. "We need to see if there is any security vids outside of Streke's apartment or the docking bays in the capital wing. I would like to discover the identity of his attacker and protector…if they exist."

"Yeah, _IF_ they exist."

That was a big ' _if'_. I really doubt there was any validity to the Chief-of-State's story.

.

.

**_Entry 86_ **

ACK! The last thing I want to do is watch security vids. I don't know how Ben tolerates working as a Jedi Sentinel. Give me Jedi Guardian work! I would rather be battling the enemy than sitting in a dark room scrutinizing security vids any day.

Of course, before we can watch these mind-numbingly boring vids, we first must procure them. We could put in a request through official channels, but when you are investigating a possible death and cover-up involving the Chief-of-State one has to be a bit discrete. We knew we could probably get Zakarisz Ghent, the Chief of Cryptography, to slice into the security databanks. After all, Ghent was once a crew member of Talon Karrde and he assisted the Jedi on the mission to Byss….but because of Ghent's close association with the Jedi and smugglers we thought he might be monitored a little more closely than other cryptologists.

Ben and I were discussing this issue on the _Vazy Princess_ while having dinner with our wives when a thought came to me. I pointed my fork in Zylie's direction. "Maybe you can get your old boyfriend, Steben, to pull the vid records."

Zylie's eyes narrowed. "You know full well Steben and I never dated."

I grinned mischievously. "Maybe, but he sure wanted to date you. I bet if you asked him he would fall all over his feet trying to get you the information."

She gave a noncommittal shrug of her petite shoulder. "Of course he would. What man wouldn't?"

Ben gave a laughing snort. "Do you think he would do it?"

"Sure, but, since he could be risking his job, I think we may have to offer him something. It would have to be something he deeply desires."

I looked at Zylie questioningly. "You don't think he's going to want a date with you… I mean… you're a married woman."

She laughed and then pointed to me. "No, I think he is going to want a date with you."

I sat back in my chair in surprise. "What?"

Ben and Valla looked at me curiously while Zylie grinned.

"You know how he's fascinated with the Jedi. Maybe if you offer to spar with him with practice lightsabers he might consider doing a little slicing for us. "

I nodded with a smile. "I can do that."

.

.

**_Entry 87_ **

Zylie was right, Steben was more than willing to do a little trade with us. I checked out two practice sabers from the Temple armory and reserved a private sparing room for us. I went over some of the basics of the lightsaber and demonstrated on my own arm how contact would only result in painful swelling. After seeing me flinch and the appearance of an angry welt…I think Steben's enthusiasm for sparing dimmed quite a bit.

"Don't worry, Steben, I won't hurt you."

We spared for about a half hour. It was mainly Steben swinging wildly while I blocked his attacks. At the end of the session he looked tired and sweaty, but he was smiling. He deactivated his practice saber, reached into his pocket and tossed me a datachip.

"I pulled the vids for the time frame you requested. The holocams are old and there are glitches in the system. I saw a lot of periodic static, but I checked and it doesn't appear that somebody accessed the data and edited out information. The problem must be with the vid-recorders themselves."

I bounced the chip in my hand and smiled. "Thanks Steben. I appreciate it."

"Can you tell me what you're investigating? Is it the Chief-of-State?"

I gave him a guarded look. "Why would you ask that?"

The man laughed as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Umm…maybe because you didn't put in a request through normal channels and you wanted security vid information from the wing of the palace where the Chief-of-State lives and works."

"Are we that obvious."

He smiled widely. "Yes." He hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and whispering conspiratorially. "I can keep an eye on him for you…for a price."

My eyes narrowed. "And what would that price be?"

His smile turned into a toothy grin. "The Fan-Expo Holocon is coming up next month. Do you and Zylie want to go with me again?"

I had to laugh remembering how I saved the man from a bunch of thugs in the Fan-Expo parking garage years ago. "You got it. Maybe, this time, I can wear a more authentic looking Jedi Knight costume."

We parted ways and I delivered the datachip to Ben, all the while hoping I would be called out to some horrifyingly dangerous mission so I could get out of watching the security feed…but I am never that lucky. NEVER!

.

.

**_Entry 88_ **

Ha! I got out of the remainder of the investigation when the ladies got a shipping contract to pick up cargo from Hapes. I told Ben that I didn't feel comfortable having our wives going on a cargo run without somebody to protect them…so I volunteered my services. He just rolled his eyes and told me to have fun. He knows how much I hate Sentinel work. So we are now on the way to the Hapes Consortium.

.

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**_Entry 89_ **

We arrived to the planet Hapes and were instructed to land at a docking bay located near the city of Ta'a Chume'Dan, which is the administrative capital of the consortium.

I had spent most of the flight cleaning up the cargo bay in valiant yet vain effort to purge the lingering smell of vornskr from the area. Now the bay smells like I gave a vornskr a bath in industrial cleaning fluid. That litter of vornskrs really stunk up the place. I am happy that we got rid of the litter, but I have to admit I miss the runt. I try not to dwell on it, though. He couldn't stay with his mother after she rejected him and there was no way in the Nine Corellian Hells that Valla and Zylie would get rid of their precious Princess. That vornskr has been part of their lives since they were teenagers.

Anyway, I finished cleaning and went to the flight deck to check the status of the cargo transfer now that we landed. There I found Zylie and Valla going over the power-down checklist. I don't know why they insist of doing this themselves; we have a perfectly good (and annoying) pilot droid. "Why don't you let ID10T do the power down protocol?"

The droid turned his mechanical head in my direction. "I asked that exact question to the Captain Valla Skywalker and Mistress Zylie, but…"

I gestured for him to stop talking. "ID10T, what did I tell you about talking to me?"

The droid went silent before his silver metallic head drooped in a pathetic attempt to garner sympathy from me…which he isn't going to get. "I was told to only speak when spoken to, unless I am dispensing information pertinent to the flight, ship status or the safety of the crew."

I nodded. "Does anything you were going to say have any importance, or were you just making conversation?"

The droid answered after a long pause. "It is of no importance. I apologize Jedi Tantiss."

Zylie rolled her eyes. "Why do you always pick on our pilot droid?"

I glared at the mechanical pilot. "Because he has a big mouth."

Valla and Zylie shook their heads as they grabbed their datapads and rose from their seats. "The cargo is on the way."

I followed them down to the ship's bay. "Did we ever get a cargo manifest? I don't like these last minute mysterious shipment runs."

Zylie made a humping noise. "You like them when it gets you out of helping Ben."

I small sheepish grin spread across my face. "You got me there."

We entered the cargo area and Valla lowered the boarding ramp. "It is a live animals shipment to Bastion." Valla looked down at her datapad. "It is some type of porcine species called Rottasvin. It's a super expensive delicacy for the richest of the rich."

I nodded. "Yeah, I've had it a number of times at my parents' restaurant. Believe me, it's overrated."

We walked to the bottom of the loading ramp and waited for our cargo to arrive. "The food might be overrated," Zylie said with a happpy grin, "But we're getting a shipload of credits to deliver the live animals."

I nodded. I heard Rottasvin were stubborn and ornery animals. I just hope they don't stink as much as vornskrs. Eventually a convertible speeder truck arrived with two large metal livestock containers. The crates were windowless, but were equipped with ventilation units to provide airflow to the animals inside. A second speeder pulled up behind the truck and four large men wearing protective headgear, goggles and baggy coats climbed out and immediately went to work loosening tie downs and slowly maneuvering the containers out of the speeder by way of a hoversled. The speeder truck driver got out and shouted orders to the other men. He was similarly dressed with his face partially concealed by goggles and headgear. These were convertible speeders, so it wasn't unusual for people to wear extra eye protection while driving…still, something about the men that seemed off.

As we waited patiently I noticed something odd…all five of the workers wore the exact same brand of boot. Normally that wouldn't raise an eyebrow, but they were all wearing Jump boots. Only active duty or veteran Void jumpers were allowed to wear that particular type of footwear. A closer look at the mens' zipped up jackets revealed the outlines of something—possibly weapons—underneath. These men were not ordinary cargo carrier personnel, they were either former military or some sort of paramilitary security detail. I couldn't detect any hostility emanating from the men through the force, so I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. It could be the high cost of the cargo justified extra security.

I decided if this was an ambush it was better to confront the men outside of the ship. I turned to the ladies and whispered to them. "I have a bad feeling about these guys. Wait here."

I was relieved when the women didn't argue. I guardedly walked up to the driver and apparent leader of the group. I had my hand casually lying on the handgrip of my blaster while my other hand lingered near my lightsaber. As I moved closer to the driver I realized I recognized his Force signature. As I prepared to speak he brought up his hand and made a military gesture for operational silence, which stopped me short. He quickly walked up, put a hand on my elbow, and guided me toward my ship. "Talon, let's talk inside."

As we passed Valla and Zylie I gave them a forced smile and nonchalant wave of my hand. "Everything's alright, we're just going to check to see if the ship's bay is prepared for the cargo."

When I got to the top of the ramp I turned to the man. "Deke? Deke Tavik? What's going on?"

The Commander of Queen Tenel Ka's personal security unit took off the helmet and goggles revealing graying blond hair and deep blue eyes. He smiled widely as he looked around the ship. "Is it safe to talk?"

I gave my father's longtime friend a shrug. "You tell me? There's nobody else here, if that is what you mean. I haven't swept the ship for listening devices."

He nodded. "I'm sure it's alright." He looked back down the boarding ramp. "You are the only person I can trust with this cargo."

I looked at the livestock containers moving up the ramp on hoversleds. "I assume it's not Rottasvin."

He chuckled. "No but they can be a royal pain in the ass just like Rottasvin."

My jaw dropped as I turned to stare at the containers. "Royal…" I whispered. "What's going on?"

"I don't want to say too much in an unsecured area." He slapped me on the shoulder good-naturedly. "When you get into hyperspace open the containers. They are ray shielded, so you shouldn't have problems with customs when leaving." He turned and watched his crew deposit the two containers in our hold. "You need to get off planet immediately."

"Wait, I don't like this." I said anxiously. I suspect that Jacen and Tenel Ka were inside the metal crates, but I didn't like all this secrecy, especially with all the subterfuge going on throughout the galaxy.

"I understand your concern, but you have to trust me. I am not asking you do anything illegal and I'm not putting you and your family in danger, Talon." I guess I didn't look reassured, so the former Void Jumper continued. "Talon, I give you the Oath of Vernost that I am being honest with you."

My eyes went wide as I nodded slowly. "Okay." The Oath of Vernost was the highest pledge of honor that a Void Jumper could give. Anybody breaking their oath was disgraced. Their name was forever removed from the Void Jumper Wall of Honor and they would be subjected to the Tradition of Silence…meaning no active or former Void Jumper would talk to the disgraced trooper or even acknowledge their existence. I have never heard anybody utter the oath before. It wasn't something one declared lightly. "I trust you."

He grinned. "Good. I knew we could count on you." He put his goggles and headgear back on, masking his identity, and then turned to his men. "When you have the cargo secure get back to the vehicles." He then walked down the ramp giving Valla and Zylie a friendly wave as he passed them on the gangplank. Both of the ladies gave him a second look before giving me a questioningly gaze.

I gestured toward the flight deck. "We got to go. Ask for clearance and prepare for take-off."

Valla's eyes narrowed and I knew she had questions.

"Please Valla, just do it."

When she didn't move Zylie grabbed her sister by the elbow. "Come on, do as he says. I've seen that look before."

Valla resisted for a moment but eventually both women wandered down the corridor toward the flight deck. Deke Tavik's men finished securing the crates and walked down the ramp without speaking. I raised the ramp and blew out a nervous breath. If Jacen and the Queen were in the containers something very bad was brewing on Hapes. I have never heard of the royal family getting smuggled off planet before.


	29. Chapter 29

**_Entry 90_ **

Once we were airborne I was inundated with questions from the ladies. "What just happened?" Valla asked impatiently.

"I think we are smuggling Jacen and Tenel Ka off planet."

"What?" she gasped. "Why?" She looked out of the viewport anxiously. "Will somebody come after us to get them?"

I shook my head. "The speeder truck driver I spoke to is the commander of Tenel Ka's security team. He said we won't be in danger."

Zylie didn't look convinced. "How could he possibly know we'll be safe?" She stood. "I guess it is too late to do anything about it. Shouldn't we let them out of the cargo containers?"

"I was told to wait until we are in hyperspace."

Valla pulled back on a lever and the stars suddenly stretched into long lines. She stood and walked past me. "We're in hyperspace. Let's see what we're smuggling."

We went down to the cargo bay and examined the exterior of the crates until we located the hatch release. I turned a handle and pulled open the door. There inside was my cousin Jacen and his oldest daughter Allana. He grinned widely as he reached out and shook my hand. "Hey Talon. Thanks for the lift."

Zylie managed to get the other container open and Queen Tenel Ka exited along with their youngest daughter Teela. "Thank you for coming at such short notice." The queen remarked as she straightened her dress.

"Deke didn't tell me anything about the situation. Why did you have to sneak off planet?" I asked.

Tenel Ka gave us an exasperated sigh. "According to Commander Tavik there is going to be an attack on the royal family in the next few days. He wants to take out the assassins and he won't be able to do that if they know I'm not at the palace."

"He had to smuggle us out of the area," Jacen added. "We have our body doubles standing in for us."

"That sounds like a fun job," Zylie said sarcastically.

Tenel Ka gave my wife an annoyed expression. "They are extremely well compensated and they will be protected by my men. Commander Tavik is very good at his job." She glanced over to the livestock containers. "Although I doubt we needed to be smuggled off planet in swine containers. I suspect that was an unnecessary precaution added by my impertinent security commander. He has no respect for the crown."

I had to chuckle. That sounded like a Void Jumper prank. "If he's so insolent, why don't you fire him?"

"I don't dare." Tenel Ka gave a sideward glance to her husband. "Commander Tavik knows too much."

"About palace security," Jacen added quickly.

"Plus the intelligence information he provides is extremely valuable and almost always accurate. I can't take any chances when it comes to my family." The Queen went back to the cargo container and picked up a small satchel.

"Let me get that your highness." I picked up the bag and then looked over to Valla questioningly. I wasn't sure where to put the royal family.

"Please follow me," Valla said as she walked out of the cargo area and down the corridor. "If we knew we would have royal guests we would have prepared for your arrival. You can take my cabin. Ben isn't with us on this trip. Let me just change the sheets and get some of my belongings out."

I looked over to Jacen. "Is our destination still Bastion?"

He nodded. "Yes, we'll be safe with my sister and Jag."

I put the Queen's satchel in Valla's cabin. "I guess the other Hapan royals wouldn't dare make an attack against you while you're within the Imperial Remnant territory."

"Let's hope so." Jacen muttered before pulling me down the corridor and out of earshot of his children. "Talon, I've got a really bad feeling about the future…and I don't think it involves conspiring Hapan Royals."

"If not the Royals, then who or what?"

He shook his head slowly. "I wish I knew, Talon. I wish I knew."

 

**.**

**.**

**_Entry 91_ **

The trip to Bastion was interesting. I got to catch up with my cousin and enjoyed spending time with his kids. Allana and Teela are truly little princesses. They have that regal bearing and carry themselves like tiny adults.

During the trip, Zylie, Jacen and I were sitting around the galley dining table (Valla and Tenel Ka were up on the flight deck) when Allana and Teela came up to us and asked to play with our vornskr. Zylie was all for it, but I balked.

"I don't know if that is a good idea," I said to Zylie.

She rolled her eyes. "I grew up with Princess and she never bit me."

"Yeah," I said slowly. "But you and Valla are not Force sensitives. Vornskrs hunt using the Force. They are twitchy around Jedi." I held up my arm where faded scars from my last vornskr attack were still visible.

Jacen looked at my arm and blanched. "Ouch! Why didn't you continue the bacta treatment until the scars were completely gone?"

Zylie made a huffing noise. "Because he wants to keep the scar. Whenever we have a disagreement about Princess he points to the scar in order to make me feel bad."

"That's not true." I shrugged. "I just don't like bacta patches."

She reached across the table and tried to pull the collar of my tunic down. "I bet you made sure that scar on your chest is gone."

I slapped her hand away. "We are not going to discuss that injury."

I was waiting for Jacen to ask me ' _What scar?'_ , but he just chuckled.

I drummed my fingers on the top of the dining table in irritation before I turned to my cousin. "Jacen, do you know about my chest scar?"

He bit his bottom lip so not to laugh. "Yeah, our security chief told me. His intelligence sources are remarkable."

"What scar!" Allana whispered excitedly. "Can I see?"

"Me too!" Teela asked eagerly.

I turned to the kids and gave my best fake smile. "Why don't you two go play with the vornskr." I looked over to Zylie. "Can you make sure Princess doesn't eat them?"

She shook her head while trying to hide a smirk, before getting up and escorting the children to the cargo bay. I turned to Jacen and sighed. "How did Deke find out about my chest wound?"

"You mean, how did he discover your nipple was almost bit off by a baby vornskr?" My cousin laughed before shrugging noncommittally. "I assume he found out from your father…but to be honest, I'm not sure where he gets his information. Not that I haven't tried to find out. His communications are monitored, but either he meets his informants when off planet or somebody is gathering the intelligence for him and coming to Hapes to brief him personally or via an information dead drop."

I looked at him slackjawed. "You distrust your security chief so much that you have him under surveillance?"

Jacen sighed deeply. "I trust him. He saved the lives of my wife and children multiple times…I am just curious as to where he's getting his information."

I thought about it. "Perhaps he is communicating with somebody using code. Who does he talk to regularly?"

Jacen shook his head. "Nobody other than his wife and kids who are in college. Occasionally he contacts friends such as your dad or other Void Jumper buddies. The conversations seem normal…except the ones to his wife…wow, he is lovesick when it comes to her. I am fairly certain he has been married for three decades, but you would think they were newlyweds."

I grimaced. "Jacen, you shouldn't be listening into personal conversations."

"I don't listen to them. Hapan Intelligence briefs me. In my defense, Commander Tavik knows the palace intel office has the ability to monitor's communications. That's probably why I never get any solid intelligence about his informants."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and thought about the situation. "Does it matter where he gets his information…as long as he is using it to help you?"

Jacen tossed up his hands in frustration. "Tenel Ka is Queen…she should know who he is talking to." He leaned forward in his chair. "Information is not cheap. What is he giving his informants in return? _That_ is my concern."

"Have you asked him?"

Jacen made a face. "Of course I asked him. He refuses to divulge his sources and he threatens to put in his retirement papers if I press the issue."

I blew out a breath. "Sorry that I can't help you. I can tell you that my dad trusts the man…and, although I don't know him that well, he is a Void Jumper and honor and fidelity are deeply instilled into our psyche. We can be hard drinking, smart asses with a deep disdain for rear echelon desk jockeys." I wanted to say _'Along with royalty and politicians'_ , but I kept that to myself. " But we are loyal. Void jumpers are not traitors. I wouldn't worry about Commander Tavik."

Jacen sat back in his seat. "Yeah. I just wish I was there to help him take on the assassins. I'm a trained Jedi Knight. I shouldn't need non-Force users saving my family. I feel useless."

"Your job is to be a father to your little girls. Danger is everywhere. You should be here with them." I tapped my index finger on the table for emphasis. "They need you by their side. You made the right choice."

A feeling of morose swept across me as I thought of my son on Indupar... a son who went into combat to defend his kingdom without his father by his side. Jacen doesn't know how lucky he is to be able to raise his kids.

"Whoa, why the sudden gloominess?" Jacen asked, obviously sensing my sadness through the Force. "Does it have something to do with children?" He cocked his head to the side before leaning forward and whispering. "Are you and Zylie having trouble…you know…having kids."

I shook my head. "No…it's complicated." I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought up a story that would satisfy his curiosity, but wouldn't involve revealing the existence of my son. "I would like to have a baby with Zylie, but she has the family business to run and we don't want to raise a child on a ship…" I trailed off hoping Jacen would fill in the blanks.

He reached over and squeezed my shoulder. "It'll happen. You have time. Zylie is still young."

It was then we felt the ship revert back to real space. "It looks like we are at our destination," Jacen said as he stood and made his way to the flight deck. "Good, because I want to find out if anything happened on Hapes. I wish your ship had a hyperwave transceiver."

I laughed as I moved down the corridor. "You are more than welcome to install one of those expensive contraptions on my ship."

As we entered the flight deck Tenel Ka turned to us. "I'm attempting to communicate with your sister on her private channel."

After about thirty seconds the image of Empress Jaina Solo Fel appeared on the ship's transceiver screen. Jaina's face lit up when she saw her brother and his wife. "Thank the Force! We thought you were dead! Are the girls alright?"

"The girls are fine." Jacen looked to his wife and then back to his sister. "What happened?"

Jaina looked at her brother in disbelief. "You don't know? The Hapan palace was attacked. It looks like a war zone. The holonet news showed bodies being carried out of the palace. There were explosions in the area of the lessor royals. The Queen's wing was left intact, but the reporters thought it was because the enemy wanted to take the royal family alive. I've been trying to contact you two for hours, but communications to the palace are down." Jaina gave a sigh of relief. "I am so glad you weren't there."

"We were warned of a possible attack," Tenel Ka explained. "We slipped away undetected aboard the _Vazy Princess_."

"That's a relief." Jaina paused. "This channel is encrypted, but we shouldn't take any chances. I am sending you docking coordinates. I will send an escort." She smiled warmly. "I look forward to seeing you soon."

When Jaina signed off, Tenel Ka looked to Jacen. "Once again Commander Tavik's intelligence was correct. Hopefully he was prepared enough to fight off the assailants."

"I hope so too," Jacen muttered. "He knew they were coming, so I am optimistic."

Tenel Ka gave her husband a sidelong glance. "Knowing Tavik he probably 'accidentally' killed half of my conniving backstabbing family while defending the palace."

A slight smile graced Jacen's face. "Friendly fire accidents do happen."

I shuddered slightly at seeing Jacen pleased at the thought of royals dying. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I always suspected he was responsible for the Hapan plague that killed many of the older royals years ago.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. If anybody deserved to die it was the Hapan royals. They tried to kill Jacen's family dozens of times, but they are always smart enough to hide their involvement. If Jacen gave Tavik orders to take them out…well, maybe that was for the best.

I can't believe I just wrote that. I am fairly certain the Grand Master would not approve.

.

.

**_Entry 92_ **

Once we entered Imperial space Bastion's starship transport controllers contacted the _Vazy Princess_ and advised us to proceed to the Emperor's private palace docking bay. Once there we are to remain on our ship and await further instructions. The directive to not debark our ship was emphasized multiple times.

"It sounds like Jag and Jaina don't want the Hapan royal family seen on Bastion." I looked over to Jacen who was sitting on the flight deck with the remainder of the crew. "Do you think there are problems?"

Jacen shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't been able to get a hold of Commander Tavik. We might not have gotten off planet unnoticed."

"Oh great," Zylie moaned. "Don't tell me assassins might have followed us."

"I wouldn't worry," I reassured Zylie. "You have three trained Jedi on board and an ill tempered vornskr."

For some reason my wife didn't look placated by this comment. "With your luck, if assassins attacked, Princess would probably go after you first."

I heaved a sigh knowing that was probably true. "Hopefully Jag is just being cautious."

I hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling about this.

.

.

**_Entry 93_ **

We docked and waited. After a few minutes I saw Kyp approach the ship. He was wearing his black Shadow Guard uniform while carrying his helmet in hand so we could see his face. He brought a comlink up to his mouth and communicated with the flight deck. "Remain on your ship and prepared to be boarded."

"I'll meet him on the ramp." I motioned to Jacen and Tenel Ka who were sitting on the flight deck with the rest of the crew. "I don't think he wants you to be seen."

I went to the rear of the ship and dropped the ramp. Kyp bounded up the entryway, not waiting for it to be fully lowered. "Talon, close the ramp. I need to talk to you."

I nodded and did as he said. He looked around. "Where are they?"

"On the flight deck." I motioned for him to follow me. "Do they need to keep out of sight?"

The Shadow guard fell in step next to me. "Yes, events are unfolding on Hapes and we need to keep their visit secret for a bit longer."

As we entered the central corridor leading to the flight deck the royal family joined us. "What's going on?" Jacen asked.

Kyp motioned to the galley dining table. "Sit down and I'll brief you." I remained standing as Tenel Ka, Jacen and Kyp slid into the booth. "We got an encrypted message from your security chief. He said the attack was focused on all the royal families and not just the Queen. He has your body doubles acting on your behalf. He feared that if it was known that you were smuggled off planet the other royals would believe it was an attacked orchestrated by the Queen and her consort."

Tenel Ka groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose. "How many dead?"

"A final count has not been established." Kyp pulled in a breath before proceeding. "I was told your security crew found and dismantled bombs around your personal quarters, but they were not able to defuse the remaining explosives before they were attacked. From what I was told, at least two-dozen armed individuals infiltrated the palace and started blasting everybody in their path. There was heavy fighting and multiple explosions took out at least sixty percent of the lessor royal residences. Recovery of the bodies is a continuing operation." He paused. "The latest count was fifty-three dead and one hundred-and-seventeen injured.

The Queen shook her head sadly. "How about the schools and the nurseries located at the end of the palace."

"Completely destroyed." Kyp said, but quickly added, "but there were no deaths among the younglings. By sheer coincidence, an emergency drill was conducted not more than ten minutes prior to the attack. The children and teachers were outside the palace when the violence began. They were able to evacuate completely from the conflict area with no casualties."

Tenel Ka's eyes narrowed. I knew she was thinking what I was thinking—it didn't sound like a coincidence. It was more likely that Deke Tavik knew the exact time of the attack and made sure the children were safe while keeping the Queen's royal rivals in harm's way. I have no doubt that is what she assumed, but she didn't verbalize her suspicions. "The emergency drill was a very fortunate happenstance." She blew out a breath before returning her attention to Kyp. "What happens now?"

"Since your body doubles are currently portraying you on Hapes, Commander Tavik suggested that we smuggle you into the Imperial Palace the same way you were smuggled out of Hapes."

Tenel Ka barely suppressed a caustic snort. "Commander Tavik expects me to once again hide in an animal shipment container."

"The Emperor agreed with his suggestion." Kyp said softly. "We think it is best that you are not seen on planet until your body doubles can publicly leave Hapes and travel to Bastion."

The Queen closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Jacen, remind me to have Tavik tossed in the dungeon when we return."

Her husband shook his head. "We dismantled the dungeon three years ago."

She gave him a sideward glance. "Then remind me to have it restored."

My cousin only chuckled. "No need for violence, after all, those containers are brand new. No animals have ever been inside and we wont be in them long. I am sure Commander Tavik is only looking out for your wellbeing."

She scoffed. "If I was freezing on Hoth, Commander Tavik would forgo placing me into a perfectly good emergency shelter so he could instead shove me into the carcass of an eviscerated Tauntaun." I laughed at her comment resulting in a disapproving scowl aimed in my direction. "I am not surprised you would find my situation humorous. There is something about you hole-jumpers and your tasteless sense of humor."

That really got me laughing. "Void jumpers. We're called Void Jumpers…not hole jumpers."

The queen waved me off. "Whatever you call yourself. Your profession apparently produces sardonic and insolent soldiers." She paused with a hint of a smile. "Albeit, extremely skilled and lethal ones."

I chuckled. "That _is_ true." I motioned toward the cargo bay. "Can I assist your highness into your Rottasvin livestock container?"

The Queen blew out a resigned sigh. "No, I think I can manage without your help."

I bit on my bottom lip in an effort to disguise my amusement. I am really surprised Tavik hasn't been fired from his Royal employment years ago…especially when he appears to go out of his way to offend the sovereign ruler of sixty-three star systems. Tenel Ka had mentioned earlier that she couldn't fire Tavik because he knew too much. Jacen stated Commander Tavik extensive knowledge of palace security made him invaluable, but I wonder if that is true.

Could Tenel Ka's security chief have incriminating information on the royal family? And if so, what?


	30. Chapter 30

**_Entry 94_ **

Kyp was given the mission of smuggling the royal family into the palace warehouse and then into the Emperor's private wing of the palace.

Once we delivered the Jacen and Tenel Ka to Bastion, Valla wanted to immediately leave and return to Coruscant to be with her husband. I, on the other hand, didn't look forward to returning and scrutinizing surveillance vids with Ben, so I insisted on staying at least a day so we could ascertain the situation on Hapes. Valla appeared a bit irritated with me, but she relented and put in a request to meet with the Emperor and Empress.

As expected, our inquiry as was approved and twenty minutes later a security detail met us at our ship to escort us to the private wing of the Imperial palace. Since we usually stop by and visit Jaina and Jag while on these shipment runs I doubt anybody would become suspicious at our presence. At least I hope not, I don't want our presence to bring unwanted scrutiny resulting in the discovery of the Royal family of Hapes on Bastion.

We met the Emperor and Empress in an expansive atrium leading into their private living area. Jaina greeted me and the ladies with a wide smile and hugs. Jag, being more reserved than his wife, gave me a firm handshake and, for the ladies, a chaste kiss to the back of their hands.

"Come on," Jag said as he motioned us to follow. "Jacen, Tenel Ka and the kids are in the back conference room. I think we should all talk."

They led us to the rear of their quarters where he swung open two large and ornate wooden doors. Inside the room I could hear the sound of children laughing and spied Jacen and his wife sitting at a long wooden table and talking in hushed tones. They cut their conversation short when we entered.

I looked to Tenel Ka and Jacen expectantly. "Have you heard anything from Hapes?"

Jacen shook his head. "After the last communication from Commander Tavik we haven't heard from him. We have been watching the news. It looks like a major assault force attacked the palace."

Tenel Ka looked to the ceiling. It wasn't quite an eye roll but her expression conveyed her incredulity.

"You don't look too convinced." I remarked to the Queen. "Do you think Tavik has betrayed you and attacked the palace himself?" I didn't think it was possible, but you never know. "Is he working for somebody else?"

She sighed as she sat back in her chair before looking over to Jaina. "Do you have a nanny that can care for the children while we talk? Perhaps the children could visit with their cousins."

"Certainly." Jaina spoke into a comlink and almost immediately a guard came in to escort the children out of the area.

Zylie looked to her sister who gave her a curt nod before she turned to the two royal couples. "If you don't need us, we would like to make arrangements for a cargo shipment back to Coruscant. It will look less suspicious."

"Absolutely," Jag said while gesturing to his guard. "Lieutenant James will drop the kids off and then escort you to a communications center."

Zylie threw me a kiss before turning and following her sister and the guard out of the room. I had to smile. Zylie and Valla knew state secrets were probably going to be discussed and that the royals would feel uncomfortable asking them to leave…so they made up an excuse not to participate in our conversation.

When they were gone and the door closed Tenel Ka returned her attention to me. "My professional relationship with Commander Tavik goes back years and he has saved my life and the lives of my immediate family innumerable times." She paused in thought. "With that said, he has a tendency of doing things that he believes are in my best interest and often without informing me of his plans in advance. His explanation for this behavior is his desire to give me plausible deniability."

"So," I said slowly. "You do trust him?"

"We trust him," Jacen said. "But I don't know if I trust his contacts. Where is he getting his information and how is he paying for that intelligence? He is paid well, but not well enough to purchase extremely accurate and invaluable intelligence. He must be doing something for his contacts in return."

"Do you want me to go to Hapes and talk to him and check out the situation? Maybe I can use my Force abilities to figure out what really happened there."

"Yes," Jacen replied followed immediately by an adamant "No," from Tenel Ka. She forced a disarming smile on her face as she addressed me. "Perhaps it would be better if Ben talked to Tavik."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "Why Ben?"

The Queen shrugged nonchalantly. "He is a trained Jedi Sentinel. I assume he has more investigative training than a Guardian, like yourself."

I looked to the two in confusion. Even Jag and Jaina appeared equally confused over the conflicting opinions.

"That is true," I admitted grudgingly. "But, he doesn't have post-cognitive abilities. I thought I would check out the damage and then talk to Tavik, Void Jumper-to-Void Jumper."

Jacen leaned in and whispered to his wife who whispered something back. Her words prompted Jacen to sit back in his seat and make an "Oh" expression." He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it.

"What?" I said in irritation.

Tenel Ka blew out a breath. "Jacen, why don't you talk to your cousin in private?"

I noticed Jacen blushed as he stood and walked to my position. Placing his hand on my shoulder, he ushered me to the far corner of the expansive conference room where we could talk with some semblance of privacy. "Talon, it's your post cognitive talents that has the Queen concerned. If you were poking around our palace you might discover information that…uhh…information you shouldn't be privy to."

I nodded. "I understand…state secrets and such." I was a saddened that my family didn't trust me fully, but I could appreciate their position.

I guess Jacen sensed my disappointment. "Talon…we trust you explicitly. It just…well, if you are in our private wing of the palace…Tenel Ka believes you would be able to see her…and me in…umm…romantic situations." He blew out a breath looking relieved that he got the words out. "It's a little unsettling to think a person could have a glimpse into your personal moments."

"Oh," I said softly. "I definitely would avoid your bedroom chamber. That's something I don't wish to see."

Jacen chewed on his bottom lip in thought. "You may have to avoid other rooms also. Like the bathroom, the spa area, the couch, the balcony, the kitchen," He paused. "Now that I think about it…it probably would be best that you avoid our quarters in its entirely and also our private sparing room in the gym, the east guard tower…"

"Okay…I get the point."

Jacen laughed. "I knew you would understand. I heard about your little Stealth X cockpit fiasco."

My jaw dropped. My immediate family knew about the compromising position Zylie and I found ourselves in when she wanted to try to make out in my Starfighter, but I didn't think Jacen also knew. "Who told you?" I shook my head in frustration. "I swear I am going to kill Ben."

Jacen laughed harder. "It wasn't Ben. As I said before…Commander Tavik's contacts are very good."

My eyes widened. "What? What kinds on contacts would know about…?" I stopped with a grimace. "My dad and his big mouth."

Jacen's grin widened. "Why don't you go talk to Tavik. Find out who attacked us. See if he will reveal who he is getting his information from. Assess the situation. I'd like to know the extent of the damage."

"You got it." I leaned in and whispered. "And if I do accidently uncover any state secrets, don't worry. I am very good at keeping confidences."

Jacen gave me a knowing look. "That's what I heard." He gave me a pat on the shoulder. "You better get going."

I found his comment about my secret-keeping abilities somewhat cryptic and I started to wonder if Jacen had regained his memories since my father gave him the memory rub. Of course I couldn't really ask him if he remembers ever turning to the dark side and trying to kill my Aunt, my father and injuring my brother because if he didn't remember I would have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

I guess I should get my Stealth X prepped. I'm off to Hapes.

 

**.**

**.**

**_Entry 95_ **

I arrived on Hapes two days later and was met at the spaceport by Commander Tavik himself. I guess Tenel Ka or Jacen told him to expect my arrival. He strutted to my Stealth X with the telltale Void Jumper swagger. I once tried to pull off that cocky stride, but Zylie told me it looked like either my underwear was too tight or I needed some hemorrhoid cream. I must admit, Tavik pulls it off without looking like he's wearing restricting undergarments or is in the need of medicinal ointments. I climbed down from my ship, secured the cockpit, and pulled out a small carry all bag from the side fuselage compartment as the older man came up next to me and slapped a hand on the shoulder. "Tantiss! I figured _'you-know-who'_ would send somebody to check on the situation." He looked me up and down. "Nice flight suit, but lose the lightsaber. Hapans are not very accepting of Jedi. Jacen and Tenel Ka are tolerated because they are no longer part of the order."

I nodded as I removed my saber from my belt and slipped it into a side cargo pocket. "Is the insurrection put down?"

He dropped his hand from my shoulder and gestured for me to follow him. "I believe so."

I glanced over to him. "Have you gotten any intelligence from the survivors?"

He chuckled as he opened the door to a parked speeder. "Get in and we'll talk." He looked around the spaceport. "There are too many eyes and ears in the public."

I entered the luxurious speeder with blasterproof windows and doors. Once Deke was inside he grinned good-naturedly. "It's good to see you again. How is your mom and dad?"

I shrugged as he started the vehicle and sped off in the direction of the palace. "Who knows about my dad? He's always off doing something dangerous. My mom is probably safe on Indupar baking cookies or getting a massage from her favorite masseur."

Tavik laughed. "Living in a palace is a nice cushy life. I don't blame your parents for leaving the frugal quarters of the Jedi Academy to live in the extravagant suites of a royal house. I know I would rather be here and saving the Queen than working as a void jumper, living in the mud, eating dehydrated rations and hoping there isn't a malfunction of the urination evacuation system of my armor while I'm off killing the enemy."

I shook my head and gave a snort. "Don't lie to me. You miss the thrill of the drop and the vanquishing of the enemy."

Tavik laughed. "That is the beauty of working with Tenel Ka…I'm always annihilating adversaries. She has a never-ending stream of rivals trying to kill her."

"That's true," I said. "So, have you questioned the survivors?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "There are no survivors."

My brow rose in shock. "You didn't take prisoners?"

He gave me an indignant glower. "I didn't take prisoners because these people fought to the death."

"Who are they? Are they mercenaries?"

He made an incredulous expression. "Do you know any mercenaries that fight to the death? Unless they thought I was going to capture and torture them, mercenaries would surrender and try to work out a deal. They would give up the name of their employer for leniency."

"What if they thought their employer would kill their families if they surrendered? I hate to say it, but I have seen that tactic carried out on various planets."

Tavik thought about it. "Maybe, but these people look Hapan."

"Really? Hapans may be classified as near human, but to me they look just like every other human in the galaxy, so how could you tell?"

He gave me a sidelong glance. "They are beautiful. The Hapan people may have the darkest souls in the universe, but their exterior is drop dead gorgeous. I may not like them, with the exception of the queen and her kids, but I have to admit they have a flawless beauty. That's why I think these insurgents were Hapan, they are attractive…all of them. And if they were hired by the Hapan royals…well then your theory might be right. The royals would slaughter the families of any disloyal foot soldiers. They would be better off fighting to the death, rather to face the wrath of these backstabbing royals."

The speeder was nearing the royal palace and I was astonished by the extent of the destruction. The palace was in ruins. Construction workers, police, and rescue personnel were climbing over the rubble as heavy lifting droids raised huge chunks of duracrete. I assume they were looking for survivors or perhaps this was a recovery mission. I turned to Deke. "When was the last time a survivor was discovered?"

"Yesterday. It was one of the maids." He shook his head sadly. "She died in the hospital."

We drove by large barricades with armed soldier keeping reporters and looters out of the area. To my surprise, Tavik didn't slow down but went right by the palace.  
I looked back at the scene of destruction. "I was hoping to poke around and try to use the Force to figure out the identity of the attackers."

Tavik shook his head. "The place is now a crime scene. It is off limits to nonessential personnel."

I gave him a curious look. "And you are commander of the Queen's security. Surely you could get me in."

He made a humphing noise. "The investigation has been taken over by the Hapan Consortium Investigation Bureau." He gave me a sidelong glance. "Since this was an attack on all royals, every royal house is under suspicion, including the Queen and her private security detail."

"Then where are we going?"

"My quarters. I can brief you there."

I nodded. "Commander Tavik, who told you about the impending attack?"

He grunted. "That again? The Queen sent you to pump me for information, did she?" He pulled into a vehicle garage attached to what looked like a luxury apartment building. "I told her that I promised my contact that I wouldn't reveal my source."

I nodded. "Fair enough…but what are you giving them in return?"

He jerked the wheel of the speeder, pulled into a parking spot and stopping so abruptly it nearly caused me to hit my head on the dashboard of the vehicle. He turned and glared at me.

"You know, not every person on this planet is a conniving, backstabbing bastard that always has an angle to play. I may be giving my contacts something, but it is of no concern to the Queen. I am not doing anything to hurt her or her family. I am not going to give up my sources." He gave me a hard look. "You of all people should know some secrets are too dangerous to get out in the open. Sometimes we keep our confidences to maintain the safety of our friends and loved ones."

My breath caught in my throat. I was sure he was referring to my son. "Me, of all people? What do you know, or what do you think you know?"

He chuckled as he unbuckled his restraints. "I know your family has been keeping a very big secret."

I laughed. "I'm not falling for that trick. You are fishing for information."

"Damn." He grinned. "You are smarter than your father. I always get him with that ploy."

He opened the door and got out of the vehicle. I pushed open the heavy durasteel door on my side and exited the vehicle as I joined Deke at the rear of the speeder. He walked toward an elevator while giving me a wave to follow. "Come on, we'll go to my quarters and we can have a chat."

My unease began to grow. If my dad always falls for Deke's fishing expeditions, then what information is he privy to? Does he know about my son, or was he referring to Jacen and his fall to the darkside? I guess I will have to wait and find out.

.

.

**_Entry 96_ **

As we entered Deke's family residence, he looked around and called out, "Honey, I'm home." When there was no response he smiled. "Good, the wife's not here. You can't discuss any confidential information around her unless you want the ladies at the spa knowing all your business." He pointed to the living area of his apartment. "Take a seat. Do you want a drink?"

"No thanks," I said as I sat on the couch and Commander Tavik took a seat across from me in a padded recliner. "So," I said slowly. "What did you mean by, _You, of all people should know some secrets are too dangerous to be known_? I am very curious as to what you think I've been hiding."

"I don't just think, I know. I know all about your cousin Jacen's past digressions."

I tried to hide my relief as I blew out the breath I'd been holding. For a moment I had worried that he found out about my son. "I figured you knew. You disappeared with my dad for a couple weeks after the Myrkr incident. I assume you and dad were covering my cousin's tracks."

"Yes, we were." He cocked his head to the side and gave me a curious expression. "You look relieved when I mentioned Jacen as being your big secret…but now I am wondering what else your family is hiding."

I averted my eyes and took a calming breath. "My family isn't hiding anything else."

"Oh, you are a lousy liar," he said with a laugh. "I can tell you are being deceptive. You avoid looking me in the eye and start doing those meditative breathing exercises to calm your nerves." He paused, waiting for me to deny the accusation. When I remained silent he chuckled. "Okay, keep it a secret." He stood and walked over to his liquor cabinet where he poured himself a shot of what looked like whiskey. He held the glass up toward me. "You sure you don't want one?"

"No, I rarely drink."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You and your father are the only two non-drinking Void Jumpers I know of. It must be some spook thing."

I shrugged. "A drunk Jedi is a dangerous Jedi."

"That's true." He downed his drink in one gulp before refilling it and returning to his seat.

"What can you tell me about the attack?" I asked.

He took a sip of his drink and set it on a side table. "My contact warned me about a possible impending attack on the royal family of Hapes. I assumed only Tenel Ka and her children were in danger. I never thought the other royals would be targeted."

I scoffed. "Are you telling me that the emergency drill of the school was sheer coincidence?"

"Yes it _was_ a coincidence." His jaw tightened as his face turned an angry color. "Are you insinuating that my contact told me the exact time and scale of the attack and I didn't bother to evacuate all the buildings? Dozens of people died and, although I can care less about the royals, I do care about the guards, servants, cooks and other innocent people who were killed." He paused as another possibility occurred to him. "Or are you suggesting that I arranged the attack on the royal house myself? I got Tenel Ka and her family out of harm's way because I knew mercenaries, hired by yours truly, were about to assault the complex. I then ordered the evacuation drill to save the children… because, after all, I'm not a total monster. I then made sure I killed all the mercenaries so they wouldn't talk. Is that what you're suggesting?"

I felt my face blanch. "I ah…" I wasn't sure what to say, especially since his second stated possibility sounded so well thought out and conceivable. I took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't know what I am suggesting. It would be a smart move. You did say the Queen had people constantly trying to kill her. This could be a way to get rid of a good many of those conniving dark souls you mentioned earlier. It would make your job easier. The servants might simply be unfortunate collateral damage."

His brow rose as he sat back in his chair. "Damn Talon, you must think I like bloodshed. Just because you and your dad are prolific killers, it doesn't mean all of us Void Jumpers are."

Now I was confused. "What do you mean by that?"

He gave a shake of his head. "Your father did help destroy the planet Byss which I assume was full of millions of people. And you…" He pointed a finger at me. "You have the nickname _The Butcher of Jabiim."_ He sat back in his seat and gave a cold chuckle. "Hell, you killed an entire company of men with a flick of your wrists. Did you know the Mortuary Affairs Unit that went out to collect the bodies had to use industrial floor squeegees to scrap the enemy remains off the various cargo speeders you used to squash them?" He shuddered visibly. "You are the last person who should make accusations of ruthlessness."

I closed my eyes as I began to feel queasy. What happened on Jabiim was necessary to save my unit…but the memory still made my stomach churn. "I'm sorry for suggesting you were involved. It's just that…well, it does seem like a huge coincidence that you called for an evacuation drill of the schools moments prior to the attack."

"Tantiss, did you ever think the evacuation drill might have caused the mercenaries to attack early? If they thought their cover was blown they would either have to stand down and regroup or accelerate the time table and take their chances."

"Oh," I said quietly. It made sense that if the assassins saw people flowing out of the buildings they might have attacked immediately "Who do you think is responsible? There must have been one royal family that sustained less damage. What royals were off planet?"

He shrugged. "As you can imagine, it is unusual for all the royals to be in the palace at one time. Some were off planet; some were simply in another part of the city. What I worry about is the investigation pointing fingers at Tenel Ka."

"Why would they do that? Nobody knows they're off planet."

"Even if they believe Tenel Ka and her family were in the Palace, only the Queen's security Force was actively preparing for an attack. The only bombs discovered and defused were in her sector of the palace. The security personnel of the other royals were not as lucky. Tenel Ka sustained less damage. Suspicion will fall on her. The royals will believe she arranged the attack to get rid of them."

I gazed at Tavik for a long pause. "You don't think she's involved, do you? Could she have planned the attack to kill her rivals and then funneled information to you to get her off planet? This way if you got caught and interrogated you couldn't implicate her?"

His jaw dropped as he considered the possibility. "My men and I could have been killed in the attack. There were bombs and assassins to contend with. Some of my men were severely injured." He sat back in his seat wide eyed as he considered the possibility. "I would think she valued my life more than that." There was a long pause. "I don't think she would do that…but Jacen might. He can be ruthless when it comes to protecting his family."

Deke looked so crestfallen that I felt bad for even suggesting the possibility. "Hey," I said softly. "I'm sure it wasn't them. When I talked to Tenel Ka and Jacen I didn't sense any duplicity on their part. And I don't sense deceit from you. I'm sorry that I am throwing accusations around."

He closed his eyes briefly as he chewed his bottom lip. "No problem, but since we are accusing everybody, I don't feel so bad about asking this question. Do you think the Jedi were involved? Are they punishing Tenel Ka for leaving the order or because of Jacen's actions?"

I actually laughed at the possibility. "No, the Jedi are definitely not involved. Uncle Luke understood why she couldn't stay with the order. And Jacen's family doesn't hold any animosity towards him. Why in the galaxy would you ask that question?"

He drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Because on one of the assailants I found a lightsaber."

I sat stunned for a long moment before I started a barrage of questions.

"A lightsaber? Do you have it or is it in the hands of the Hapan Consortium Investigation Bureau?"

He made a reassuring gesture. "I found it and smuggled it out of the area. That's the last thing that I wanted the investigators to find."

"Where is it? I can probably glean information from it."

He shook his head. "It was too dangerous to keep. I got rid of it. I flew up to the outer orbit of the planet and jettisoned it. It burned up in the atmosphere."

My shoulders slumped. "Did you turn it on? Did it have an amber blade?"

"I don't know what color blade it had." He got up and went to his dining room table and picked up a datapad. "It wasn't functional, but I took a photo of it."

He handed me the device with an image of an ornate lightsaber that apparently had been broken in half by either an explosion or blaster fire. I looked up to Deke. "Did any of your men report fighting somebody with a lightsaber?"

He shook his head. "This was found inside the person's side pocket. No others were found."

My mind was reeling at the implications as I tried to make sense of the situation. "Can you describe the man you found this on?"

"Sure," Deke said as he looked to the ceiling in thought. "He was about my height, muscular, clean shaven, with light brown hair."

"Did you recognize him? Could he be a Void Jumper?"

He looked perplexed by the line of questioning but then an expression of understanding crossed his face. "Oh, you think he's that guy training the Jedi killing army of Vong Void Jumpers."

"Yes," I said barely suppressing a sarcastic tone. "He is also the guy who attacked the Chief-of-State and I believe he is the man attacking slavers and freeing captives."

Deke sat back down and rubbed his chin in thought. "Damn, that guy gets around. Why would a Jedi-killing, antislavery army attack Hapan royals?"

I threw up my hands. "I don't know. None of this makes sense. If I had that lightsaber I could probably tell you. Now we'll never know if the dead assassin and the man with the amber lightsaber are one and the same."

He laughed out loud. "I can tell you are not the investigative sentinel in your Jedi family." Deke grabbed his drink and took another sip. "You obviously remember that video I gave your father of the Void Jumper with the lightsaber." He reached out and tapped the top of the datapad I was holding. "That is not the same lightsaber. The markings are different. Plus, the assassins we fought weren't wearing Void Jumper armor. And I am fairly certain that handsome gang of assassins sitting in the morgue are not, and never have been, butt-ugly Vong fighters. Also your dad said the antislavery leader didn't hurt your cousin Hanna and the other Jedi. So why would he attack Hanna's cousin?" He crossed his arms over his massive chest as his eyes locked with mine. "No, I think the most obvious answer is probably the correct one. They are Hapan assassins. One idiot probably bought a lightsaber at some antique shop and had delusions of being a Sith-wannabe."

The mention of Sith sent me down another path of thought. "Or maybe Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, had more than one apprentice and this second apprentice wants to get revenge on Jacen."

Deke grinned sardonically, like that was the stupidest idea he has ever heard. "That's a lot of maybes. I'll let the Investigation Bureau figure this out. I am just happy that the attack failed. Once again my sources have proven correct."

I studied Deke for a long moment. "Commander Tavik, do you trust your source? Do you even know who it is? Or what they want from you in return?"

He stifled a smile as he shrugged his shoulder. "All I can say is, yes, yes and yes."


	31. Chapter 31

**_Entry 97_ **

Commander Deke Tavik has to be the most stubborn and infuriating person I have ever ran into. He is in possession of important information, intelligence that might be critical to solving more than one mystery, but he refuses to divulge anything. I finally convinced him to bring me to the morgue so I could see the man who owned the lightsaber. I also hoped that I could touch any belongings—weapons, clothing, jewelry—that the dead once possessed.

When we arrived to the morgue Deke vigorously shook the hand of the coroner. "Doctor Sejas, thank you for seeing us at so short notice."

The doctor was an older man, probably in his early seventies, with short-cropped gray hair and clean-shaven. A broad toothy grin spread across the doctor's face. "How can I not see you, Commander Tavik, when you send so much work my way? I have been getting overtime pay since the attack. I may not particularly like the long hours, but my wife is already planning an exotic vacation with all that extra pay."

"If the idiots stop attacking the Queen I would stop killing them." Commander Tavik gave the man a friendly slap on his shoulder before turning to me. "I'd like to introduce you to Talon Tantiss."

I could see a glint of recognition in the man's eyes. "Talon Tantiss? Any relation to Mark Tantiss?"

"Yes. He's my father." I was a little surprised that a Hapan coroner was familiar with my dad. "How do you know him?"

"I'm retired New Republic Military. He was one of Luke Skywalker's first Jedi students. It is hard to not know the name, especially since he worked so closely with the military."

"Young Tantiss here," Deke said before leaning closer to the man and whispered loudly. "Or as I call him, ' _Spook Junior'_ ". He laughed at his own joke before continuing in a normal voice. "He'd like to see the bodies of the attackers to see if he recognizes any of them."

The man turned and waved for us to follow. "Sure, I guess there is no harm in letting you do that. We have been trying to identify them since the bodies came in. We can use any help we can get."

We walked to the rear of a medical building and into a huge room filled with rows and rows of gurneys occupied by bodies. All were covered with white sheets with the exception of one unlucky male lying on a durasteel dissection table. I began to walk up to the autopsy area, but stopped and turned away when I noticed the man was split open with a 'Y' shaped incision revealing his internal organs. I wasn't interested in seeing gore, what I really wanted to see were their belongings.

I walked around the room and lifted a few sheets before turning to the doctor. "Where's their clothing?"

The doctor looked confused. "We took them off to do the dissections."

Deke let out a loud barking laugh. "Yeah, it is pretty difficult to do an autopsy on a fully clothed individual."

I scowled at the Commander. I could sense that Deke knew full well why I was asking that question. I returned my attention to the doctor. "I'm a post-cognitive. If I can hold any clothing or items belonging to the deceased I can sometimes get Force-visions."

"Ohhh," that man said with a chuckle. "Sorry, all of their belongings were confiscated by the Hapan Consortium Bureau of Investigation. You'd have to check with them."

I let out a disappointed groan. I looked over to Deke. "Can you show me that one man we talked about?"

Deke was still grinning at my expense when he started walking around the room and lifting up sheets. After about the tenth body he called me over. "Here he is. Does he look familiar?"

I glanced down at a very tall, muscular man. Deke was right when he said these assailants were good looking. This guy could play the lead in a holodrama or work as a model. He had light colored hair, a square jaw, and a face that probably was flawless prior to meeting up with Deke and his men. Now there were pieces of shrapnel embedded his right cheek and his ear was torn off.

"Do you recognize him?" Deke asked.

I shook my head. "No, but you are right, he looks Hapan."

"That is very doubtful," the doctor commented causing us to turn and look at him questioningly. "I ran DNA sequencing on many of these bodies and they don't appear to be Hapan."

"Are they pure human?" Deke asked.

The doctor looked at the bodies for a long moment before answering. "I believe so. There are some genetic variation from the standard human, but not enough to place them into a near human category. What is interesting is this group shows very low haplotypic diversity. I would say these people are all from the same planet; most likely one isolated from the main hyperspace trade lanes. Unfortunately, I can't find any genetic markers that would allow me to pinpoint a specific part of our known galaxy."

I blew out a frustrated breath. "Well, this is a dead end."

"Not necessarily," the doctor commented. "You can eliminate many planets as the source of these invaders, such as Corellia, Hapes, Coruscant and other highly traveled destinations."

"I guess that's something," I said reluctantly.

We thanked the doctor and returned to Deke's speeder for the drive back to his quarters.

"Deke, did you use bodycams?"

He nodded. "Yes, but the attackers scrambled communications, so none of the audio came through. Some of the video survived, but it was confiscated by the Investigation bureau…but I made a copy of my bodycam vid. I can show you that."

I was a little excited about this information. "I would love to see it."

.

.

**_Entry 98_ **

Deke's bodycam vid was full of static and interference, but I was able to get a general impression of what happened. I was surprised that Commander Tavik's men were all wearing matt-black Void Jumper armor with a few of the jumpers having a gold stripe on their shoulder. I pointed to the image floating above Deke's home holoprojector. "Is the yellow stripe rank designation?"

"Yes, that's Sergeant Jasean, Void Jumper, explosive ordnance disposal, and sniper. He's also cross trained as a combat medic and he has some slicing skills."

In the video Sergeant Jasean was laying down suppressive fire as his squad moved forward to confront the enemy. I examined the clothing of the terrorists for any insignia or clues to their origin, but I didn't see anything that would indicate who they were. They were not wearing any protective armor, just one-piece, zip-up combat fatigues.

I did notice that the invaders did not fight like a cohesive unit. In fact, they appeared confused and panicked at times. More than once I saw the attackers thrusting out their hands in front of them in a protective manner. That type of defensive move may work in a knife fight, but not against blasters. They were mowed down by Deke's men. It was obvious that these terrorists were not thoroughly trained in urban warfare tactics. I turned to Deke. "Do your men always wear Void Jumper armor?"

"No, my guards on site were wearing their normal lightweight uniforms. They have an armor chest plate and shoulder protection, but that's it. They were the only ones injured. My Void Jumpers were on alert in our guard house located on the roof of the servant's wing of the palace. It took us less than ten minutes to suit up and respond. A year ago, the Queen expanded the balcony at her personal quarters to allow three Void Jumpers at a time to land. We smashed through the balcony doors and encountered the first group of invaders. That's where this footage is shot. Luckily Jacen and the Queen's body doubles ducked down one of the secret passages and escaped."

In the holovid I could see Deke's armored gauntlets as he used standard Void Jumper hand signals to communicate with his men as they moved through the Queen's quarters. It was then something caught my eye. "Can you pause the vid?"

Deke grabbed the remote control and stopped the holovid then looked to me. "Did you see something?"

I nodded. "Back up a bit."

He did as I asked. "Stop there." I stepped forward and stared at the image, which looked like a small brown cage. I pointed to the object in question. "Is that a ysalamiri nutrient cage?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, whenever the Queen uses her body doubles we place one or two of the creatures in the area. We instituted the policy years ago. The Hapan people might hate the Jedi, but most of them have one or two marginal Force users on their staff. We don't want them sensing that the doubles are not the real deal."

I shook my head in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me that in the first place? That guy with the lightsaber could be a Force user and you wouldn't have known it."

"That's why I asked you if the Jedi could be involved. I didn't see any spook magic going on, but the ysalamiri would prevent that. All I had to go on was the lightsaber."

I reached up and massaged my temples in a desperate attempt to ward off a headache. Deke chuckled. "I know, all this thinking can give a person a headache."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Without any objects to handle my postcog abilities are useless and as you pointed out earlier…I'm no sentinel. I think Ben would be better suited to investigate this attack."

He patted me on the shoulder. "I'm sure it will all come to light soon enough." He walked over to his small bar and poured himself a drink. He then opened a small cooling unit and pulled out a flavored water which he tossed in my direction. I deftly snatched it out of the air before sitting on his couch.

"It's just frustrating. We think there is going to be an attack on the Jedi on Coruscant and this might be part of it."

He sat in the chair across from me. "Why do you say that?"

"These terrorists attacking the Hapans could be on a practice run. If you were going to attack Coruscant you would want to make sure your people were ready. They may have handpicked a group of individuals that could pass as Hapans. They knew the Queen always has people attacking her. They could test the mettle of their men against the Hapan people knowing everybody would suspect the attack originated from the royal house. If they succeed in killing the royals they would weaken one of the Galactic Alliances greatest military allies. If they fail, then their superiors would know they are not ready to attack Coruscant."

Deke's brow rose. "And you say you're no sentinel. That is a likely guess as any." He tapped his fingers on his knee. "But who are they? If they are going to attack Coruscant, who is the target? The government or the Jedi? From what I have heard, the Jedi think the Chief-of-State is out to get them and developing the Vong Void jumpers to take out the Jedi Knights. Why would he attack Hapes? There are other targets you can use to test the battle readiness of your troops. They could attack a criminal syndicate…or slave traders."

I thought about it for a long while. "Maybe because Hapes is ruled by a former Jedi Knight and Jacen is the nephew of the Grand Master. The Queen would never support an attack on the Jedi and she might actually institute a counter attack against Mokk Streke."

Deke rubbed his chin in thought. "If that was true wouldn't Streke have to worry about the Empire? Jaina and Jag would side with the Jedi. If they teamed up with Tenel Ka, then those two governments could take over the galaxy. They could oust the Chief-of-State and set up some sort of Jedi dynasty." He made a sound of disgust. "A spook dictatorship. That's all we need."

Deke's idea did have some merit. "That would explain why Streke is developing a virus that would neutralize a Jedi's power."

Deke chuckled darkly. "Has the Jedi thought about leaving Coruscant to a more defendable location?"

I made a _'who knows'_ gesture. "I don't think Uncle Luke wants to abandon the temple to looters."

"Doesn't the Jedi employ non-Force users? The Grand Master can hire a civilian security detail to guard the temple."

I shook my head. "We get our funding from the government. I doubt the Chief-of-State would allocate funds for security to keep him and his army out of the temple."

Commander Tavik gave a dismissive snort. "Your Uncle is related to the richest and most powerful people in the galaxy. I am sure he could secure the funds. Anyway, I really doubt Streke will attack the temple. It would look bad. The last leader to order a march on the Temple was Palpatine, and Streke definitely doesn't want to be compared to a Sith Lord. No, he'll leave it alone. You just want to keep thieves out."

I thought about it for a moment. "I'll mention it to Uncle Luke when I see him."

"You do that." Deke took another sip of his drink as he shifted in his seat. "If the attack on the royals is the work of individuals plotting against the Jedi…then I think the Grand Master should make a decision soon. Things appear to be coming to a head."

That sounded ominous. "Did your _'sources'_ indicate the Jedi might be in danger?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Nobody has to tell me trouble is brewing."

I looked at him questioningly. "Would you tell the Jedi if you knew of an imminent attack against them, wouldn't you?"

His grin widened. "Of course. I pretend I don't like spooks, but a Jedi once saved my life…so I owe you guys."

I didn't sense any dishonesty in that statement, but I could tell he wasn't telling me everything. When I remained silent he leaned forward in his chair. "You don't believe me?" He motioned his arm out in a wide gesture. "You're the postcog. Go ahead and touch stuff." He grinned. "Or have you been doing that already? Did you come into my house to spy?"

"No," I said defensively. "I wouldn't do that to you. It's a huge breach of privacy."

He smiled as he rose out of his chair. "I figured you wouldn't…even if ordered by the Grand Master. You are very much like your father. You make a good showing of being an obedient Jedi, but you follow your conscious…not a man or a Jedi philosophy."

"I don't know about that…" I began to deny the accusation, but then thought better of it. My father had hid things from Uncle Luke and refused to follow direct orders in the past. And me…I was hiding my ties to Marcus. I would lie to the Grand Master's face if I thought telling the truth would endanger my son. Maybe Deke was right.

I stood and reached out to shake Deke's hand. "Thank you for showing me around. I really appreciate it."

He pumped my hand up and down enthusiastically before showing me to the door. "Do you want a ride to your ship?"

"No, I'll get an airtaxi."

I left the man's apartment greatly disappointed. I am terrible at investigating and spying. I hope a combat mission comes up soon. Killing the enemy seems to be the only thing I am really good at…unfortunately.

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**_Entry 99_**  
I discovered the _Vazy Princess_ had left Bastion and is on the way to Coruscant. Therefore, I am going back to the Jedi Temple. Hapes is closer to the city-world than Imperial space, so I will probably arrive before they do.

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**_Entry 100_ **

I arrived on Coruscant and met up with Ben who was still researching the possibility of a lightsaber attack on the Chief-of-State.

"Hey Talon, come on in," Ben said as he ushered me into his parents' living quarters at the temple. I looked around the apartment expecting to see my former Master or the Grand Master, but Ben was alone. He walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a couple bottles of water out of the cooling unit.

"Where's your family?"

Ben motioned for me to join him at the dining table. "The twins have their own quarters in the Temple and Hanna is on a mission and my parents are on Ossus. They are looking to make the subtemple into a junior academy for apprentices under the age of fourteen."

I sat down and took the proffered water. "Is that because of the threats to the Jedi on Coruscant?"

Ben shrugged. "Dad said it isn't just because of the threat of the midichlorian killing virus, but the general environment of a highly urbanized world. He thinks some fresh air and open country might better suit the younger apprentices. When they are fourteen they will come here and study advanced Jedi skills and then at sixteen they can start go off on their trials."

I unscrewed the top of the bottle and took a long sip. "Having the Jedi dispersed will also make it harder to wipe us out…if that is Mokk Streke's intent." I raised an eyebrow. "Have you figured out if somebody attacked the Chief-of-State like it was reported?"

Ben sighed deeply. "I'm not sure. There is evidence that somebody was blanking out the cameras from the entrance of the building to his door. It occurred off and on for a week. On the last day the camera blackouts occurred Streke entered his quarters and there was a slight pause before his door reopened. It looked like he was going to leave but he hesitated and then turned around and closed the door to the apartment. Then nothing for about two hours. A cleaning droid came to the apartment, was there for an hour and then left. Then a luggage transport droid entered the apartment and left with two large suitcases followed by the chief-of-state. He went to his private docking bay, entered his shuttle and then took off. His destination was on the other side of the planet. He spent two days at some spa and then returned."

I felt a chill run down my spine. When we first reported the assassination attempt to the Grand Master I hypothesized that the assailant's body could be smuggled out of Streke's apartment in suitcases. And now we have evidence of large suitcases leaving the apartment. "Did he return with the luggage?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah."

"I doubt he would bring back the luggage if they once held a dead body. That would be forensic suicide." I thought about it for a moment. "Do you think the chief-of-state was lying to his geneticist about the attack?"

Ben blew out a breath. "It would make sense if Streke was trying to get the doctor to hurry up with his research…but that doesn't explain why the cameras were blanked out one-by-one from the entrance to the chief-of-state's apartment. That would seem to support his claim that a Force User was laying in wait in his apartment and attacked him…but there is no indication that he had any of his security personnel with him. He said he was saved by a guard with a lightsaber. Nobody was with him, so that goes counter to his story." He shook his head in frustration. " I really don't know."

"Maybe the guard was already in the apartment. Perhaps he was the one blanking out the cameras because he wanted his identity to remain secret. Then the attacker enters from the balcony and finds not only the Chief-of-State inside but security. There is a fight and the man is killed."

"And then his lightsaber carrying guard cuts up the body so it will fit into two suitcases and a sanitation droid is brought in to clean up the mess." Ben ran a hand through his red hair. "I thought of that, but I checked the cleaning droid and there was no blood…but they do get sterilized twice a week so evidence could have been lost."

"So another dead end."

"Unfortunately." He looked up to me expectantly. "Please, tell me you found out who attacked the royal family on Hapes."

I groaned. "I couldn't get into the palace. A planetary investigatory entity is in charge of the investigation." I paused and lowered my voice. "But I have video of Tenel Ka's private security fighting off the attackers and there is another thing. Something that Commander Tavik doesn't want the Hapan people to discover."

Ben leaned forward in his chair. "What?"

"One of the attackers had a lightsaber in his pocket."

"What?" Ben sat back in his chair, jaw slack with surprise. "Was it a coupe? Did the Hapan Knights attack their own queen?"

"No, I would think Deke would recognize them and he's never seen these people before. We aren't sure if the man with the lightsaber was a Force user because there were ysalamiri in the Queen's apartment."

Ben pursed his lips in thought. "Can I see the video?"

"Sure." I pulled my datapad out of my side pocket and queued up the recording before handing it over to Ben. "It is a bit grainy. Deke said their communications were scrambled and it degraded the bodycam recording."

Ben turned on the video and watched intently. I got up and stood behind him so I could point out scenes of interest. "I don't think this is a well-trained unit. They were running around like drunk monkey lizards. You can see the look of panic on their faces."

Ben stared at the video before he looked up to me. "Talon, you didn't see anything peculiar in the holovid?"

"No," I said with a shake of my head. "Other than they were throwing up their hands defensively like they were fighting off a vibroblade instead of blasters."

Ben rubbed his chin as he played and replayed the images of the panicked attackers. "Talon, do you remember when Jacen shot at your father with a blaster on Myrkr?"

I was caught off guard by this change of topic. "Yeah, why?"

"Do you remember how your dad warded off the attack?"

I nodded, "Yes, he used the Force to absorb the blasterbolt in his hand and arm." I raised an eyebrow when Ben unholstered his blaster and set it on stun. "Pretend I am Jacen and you are your dad and defend yourself without your lightsaber." When Ben raised the blaster I immediately went into defense mode. A Jedi is trained how to absorb a blasterbolt. It was not my specialty, but I know the basics. I wasn't sure if my cousin actually intended on stunning me so I threw my hands out so I could catch it with the Force. Once I was in that position he said, "Freeze! Don't move." He put away his blaster without firing. "Notice anything familiar?"

I looked at him, then my hands and then back to him. "No."

He rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. "Talon look at your hands and look at the hands of the attackers."

I kept my hands out while craning my neck to see the datapad. It was then I noticed the similarities. "Do you think they were Force users trying to deflect or absorb the blasterbolts?"

"I think it is a possibility. Why would a bunch of incompetent assailants attack a heavily fortified palace?" He didn't wait for an answer but continued on. "They wouldn't. I think we have a group of Force users attacking the palace and they ran into something they never experienced before…ysalamiri. When they lost the Force they panicked and were immediately mowed down by Tavik's men."

"There were a lot of attackers. If they were all Force users who trained them?"

Ben shrugged. "There are only a few places in the galaxy where armies of trained Force users can be found. Here at the Temple, Hapes, Bastion and now on Indupar. Can you think of anything else about the attackers?"

"Uh, yeah. The coroner ran genetic tests and he said they were human and not Hapan. He also said he believed they were so genetically similar that they were probably all came from the same planet. He also thought the planet was isolated because they didn't match known genetic profiles of humans on well-traveled planets."

"Okay, that helps," Ben said softly. "Hapes is ruled out because they are technically classified as near human. Bastion and Coruscant have a lot of starship traffic." He gave me an apologetic look. "That would leave Indupar or another isolated planet that is training Jedi in secret."

I got a sick feeling in my stomach. "Ben, don't suggest that to your dad. Marcus is not training people to kill the Hapan royal family. Why would he?"

He chewed on his bottom lip in thought before shaking his head. "He wouldn't. He is family to all the leaders of the various Jedi orders. He is cousin to Jacen, Jaina and my mother and father are technically his great Uncle and Aunt. They don't know it, but he does. I can't see him hurting family."

"Me neither. He is a Tantiss and to a Tantiss family means everything." I gazed at my cousin. "What do we tell your father?"

I was sort of hoping Ben would say, ' _We don't need to tell the Grandmaster. Let's keep this quiet'_ , but unfortunately my cousin is a much better Jedi than I. "We tell him everything…but we don't need to mention Indupar."

I nodded. "Agreed."


	32. Chapter 32

**_Entry 101_ **

The _Vazy Princess_ arrived the next day. It was nice getting reacquainted with my lovely wife. Did I say nice? I meant awesome! Ha!

Valla and Zylie had arranged a major shipment of goods from Bastion to Coruscant, so it was a profitable trip. Zylie informed me that Jacen and Tenel Ka's doubles were officially and very publicly on their way to Bastion. Once they arrive the queen and her consort would no longer have to hide out in the Imperial Palace.

I had sent Jaina a cryptic message saying, _"Mission negative. Questionable priority intel. Will arrange complete report delivery"_. It was a code we set up prior to me going to Hapes. It basically meant I didn't discover who attacked the Hapan royals, but I did find some intel of interest. I didn't mention the lightsaber over the transceiver. That information was too volatile to transmit, even if encrypted. I will write up a full report and send the information via courier, most likely a trusted Jedi traveling to Bastion in the next few days.

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**_Entry 102_ **

Grand Master Skywalker and my former master, Mara Jade Skywalker, returned today from Ossus. They decided they would start expanding the sub-temple to house the Jedi younglings. I think that is a good step in the right direction, but that doesn't solve the problem of weak Force users showing up on Coruscant hoping to become a Jedi. Those people are usually adults. We need to do something. Things are getting out of hand. The Chief-of-State actually ran through the Senate a new bill increasing the penalty on crimes up to fifty percent if they were committed with the assistance of the Force. He calls them Force-assisted-criminal-activity (FACA) laws. I don't know how he is going to prove some crimes were done by the Force. It may be possible when are talking about telekinesis, but to prove mind tricks were done in a commission of a crime might be difficult and I fear prosecutors or even victims might have a tendency to abuse these laws. If a victim is cheated out of money by a conman and wants to exact a harsher penalty on the crook, they could now claim it was a Force-using swindler that cheated them. Even if every criminal suspect was blood tested for midichlorians…how do you prove they used the Force in the commission of the crime? I guess I shouldn't get worked up about these things. I'll let the lawyers sort this out.

I went over to the Grand Master's quarters soon after they returned and told Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara about the lightsaber on Hapes. They were concerned, especially when I explained how Deke destroyed the evidence.

"He could have simply locked it up somewhere," Mara pointed out. She regarded her husband. "Could he be hiding something?"

Luke looked over to me. "You were with him in his vehicle and apartment. Did your post-cognitive abilities pick up anything?"

I made a face. "I didn't use my abilities on Commander Tavik. That's a total breach of trust. He is a friend of my family."

My aunt rolled her eyes. "He would never know. I don't see any harm."

I shook my head as I leaned a hand against their living room wall. "How would you feel if it was you? What if I decided to take a peek into the past? You'd never know. In fact I could be doing it now." I gestured toward their living room. "I could be seeing everything that happened in this very room in the past."

Mara grinned. "I really doubt it. You aren't turning red in embarrassment and running out of the apartment."

I jerked my hand away from the wall, not wanting to accidentally _'see'_ anything Ben's parents might have done in this room. My uncle blushed and closed his eyes at his wife's comment. "She's joking, Talon."

Mara gave an evil chuckle. "Not so fast Farmboy. Remember when the twins moved out and Hanna was on a mission?"

My uncle Luke blanched as his eyes went wide. "Don't touch anything, Talon."

"Ewwww! You two are as bad as my parents," I groused. "You know what I mean. It is different when I handle police evidence or use my abilities to solve crimes. Unless you have evidence that he is involved in wrongdoing I am not going to go around and touch his stuff. Besides, I didn't sense any deception from him."

Uncle Luke nodded slowly. "I understand, Talon. You're right. It would be an invasion of his privacy." He paused for a long moment. "Who do you think is giving him information?"

"I have no idea," I said truthfully. "But he told me that he knows who he is working with and he trusts them."

Luke nodded. "Do you trust him?"

I wasn't sure where the Grand Master was going with this line of questioning, but I decided honesty was the best answer. "He would visit my parents throughout my childhood, but he's not somebody that I hung out with or would consider a close friend. He is my father's best friend. My father trusts him."

"And I am sure Tavik trusts your father," Luke said cryptically.

I looked to at my aunt and then to Uncle Luke. "What does that mean? You don't think my father has anything to do with Tavik and his mysterious intel sources, do you?"

"No, he doesn't," my aunt said before my uncle could reply. It looked like my uncle was going to argue the point, but when he saw my aunt's stern expression he decided against it.

Luke took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. "No, but if Deke was going to reveal his source to anybody, I have a feeling it would be to your father. Maybe next time you see him you can ask your dad."

I nodded slowly. "I will see him in a couple weeks on Indupar. He invited me and Zylie to King Marcus' thirteenth birthday celebration."

Luke nodded. "Good. Let me know what he says."

"Will do." I took a step toward the door but then hesitated. "Why are you so concerned about his source? The information probably saved Tenel Ka and Jacen. There doesn't seem to be any hostile intent."

Mara was the one to answer. "I worked for an information broker for years and they rarely have only one customer. There is very good chance that Commander Tavik is not the only person his source is working with. What if they start selling information to entities unfriendly to the Galactic alliance, the Jedi or the Empire?"

I was a little confused as to who that might be. "What entity are you talking about?"

My aunt shrugged. "Any government that is chaffing under the leadership of Mokk Streke. Or criminal organizations such as Black Sun, the Hutts or even slave traders."

That made sense. "I'll ask my father when I see him."

"That's all we ask, Talon," my uncle said with a smile.

As I left their apartment I got a niggling feeling that the Grand Master wasn't telling me the whole truth. I think he is suspicious of my dad. Could he be right? Could my father be giving information to Deke? He does have access to the seers. I'll have to ask my dad the next time I see him.

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**_Entry 103_ **

There haven't been any missions for the last two weeks. Instead I was tasked to teach some combat tactics classes to the older Jedi apprentices.

Zylie and Valla have been out buying merchandise for delivery to Indupar. As expected it was a lot of starship electronics for the refurbishing of the Alliance's decommissioned Delta Reserve Fleet that was exchanged for the stygium crystals discovered on Ec Pand. I was told most of the parts are being used to repair a Vengeance-class dreadnought, which will be used as the King's flagship. I have never been on board a vessel of that magnitude. I hope to get a tour of it when it is done.

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**_Entry 104_ **

We arrived on Indupar today. My parents met us at the docking bay. Dad was once again wearing that stupid pompous uniform with an enormous amount of gold braiding on the sleeves and epaulets and piping down the trousers. My mother was wearing a casual summer dress that only helped emphasize the gaudiness of my father's outfit.

Ben and Valla were the first down the gangplank followed by me and Zylie…and her insufferable vornskr, Princess, who we decided to board in the palace kennels.

My parents embraced Ben and Valla and then my mother ran up and gave me a big hug. "I miss you sweetie."

I used to hate it when she called me that when I was a kid, but now it brings a smile to my face. "I missed you too, Mom," I whispered while giving her a kiss on the cheek. She broke away to greet Zylie while allowing my dad to crush me in a hug that would probably kill a Rancor.

"It is good to see you." He stepped back and smiled broadly. "Your brother will arrive late tonight. He and Jysella are at a medical conference on Corellia that ends today."

I had to grin. It would be nice to get the whole Tantiss family together. "How about Jessa?"

"She's already here," my mom said happily. "Jaden dropped her off before going to the conference."

My dad chuckled. "Your mom is in Grandmother heaven." He leaned in towards me and whispered. "Get ready for the, _'when are you and Zylie going to have a kid'_ sermon."

"I'll get working on that today, Dad." I looked down at Princess who was pulling on her leash in an attempt to smell everything within the bustling port. "Getting Princess into a kennel will help. She she is a mood killing, foul tempered, anti-aphrodisiac."

My dad slapped me on the back and gave a booming laugh. "You afraid she's going to bite off your bits and pieces?"

"Stang," I muttered. "She would if she could."

"Well, then let's get her to the kennel immediately," my father said with a grin. "Your mom isn't the only one wanting more grandchildren."

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**_Entry 105_ **

Why did I think dropping off a vornskr to a kennel would be easy? We brought her into the facility and Princess must have smelled something that upset her. She howled, paced back and forth and would have jumped the service counter if we didn't have her firmly leashed. I have never seen her this upset. I suppose the sight of kennel cages trigger her. She knows what is going to happen and she is _not_ happy. She really misses Zylie and Valla when they are away. Zylie jerked on the leash and commanded Princess to sit. The animal turned and gave a pitiful yowl, but eventually obeyed. She looked so sad that I almost felt sorry for her…almost.

We handed the leash to the veterinarian and Zylie started to spout off instructions on how to care for a vornskr but he put up a hand halting her dialog. "I know how to care for a vornskr."

Zylie didn't look very convinced. "You do? How?"

The doctor gave a tight smile. "I graduated top in my class in exotic fauna anatomy and physiology at Coruscant University. I also interned under Dr. Gasadus at the Coruscant Veterinary Hospital and specialized in animal surgical techniques and pharmacology."

That was good enough for me, but Zylie was not going to hand over her precious pet without being thoroughly convinced. "How many vornskrs have you worked with?"

"I have performed veterinary care for over a half dozen in recent years." He gave her a warm, reassuring smile. "I guarantee you, your vornskr is in good hands."

Zylie nodded and let the man take the animal into the back kennel area. We started to walk off but hesitated when we heard a mournful moan from Princess. Zylie almost turned back. I threw an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the building. "She'll be fine. She's just sad. You know she acts this way every time you drop her off at the kennel."

She shook her head. "She was worse today. Something upset her more than usual."

I forced a smile on my face. "Maybe she's going to miss me as well."

That got a laugh out of my wife. "The only thing she'll miss is biting you."

"See," I said overly enthusiastically. "She's missing me already."

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**_Entry 106_ **

It was great seeing my son. When we arrived to his quarters we found him memorizing a speech for his religious coming of age ceremony…or as I call it, his thirteenth birthday. The ceremony will take place in the early morning hours and culminate with the rising of the sun. The sunrise not only represents a new day, but the boy's new life as a man and, because he is the king and leader of the state religion, the rising of the sun also signifies religious enlightenment.

As he looked up from the datapad a huge smile spread across his face. "Dad!" He put down the device and ran over to envelop me in a warm embrace. I was amazed at how much he had grown lately. He was now taller than the average man. If he continues to grow at this rate he will be taller than me in a year or two. He might even get as big as my father. "I am so glad you could make it to the ceremony."

"There was nothing that would prevent me from being here," I said as we broke apart.

He nodded. "I know you would try, but one can never predict when a Jedi emergency will take you away."

I chuckled. "I think you could predict such things."

He blushed slightly while giving a shrug. "I probably could." He turned his attention to Ben and the ladies. "It is wonderful having you here. We have rooms for you just down the hall. If you need anything just push the intercom button and the operator will direct your call to the proper people." He gazed down at his wrist chrono. "I will have more time to visit once the ceremony is over. Right now I have less than ten hours before the festivities will commence." He gazed at us apologetically. "I'm sorry but I have a number of meetings to attend with the church officials and the ceremony coordinator."

"We understand," I said slowly sensing nervousness in my son's voice. "I guess we should settle into our rooms and get some sleep before the ceremony."

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**_Entry 107_ **

Zylie and I decided to take a nap since we were going to get up early in the morning. And I am talking early, early or what Void Jumpers call an R.K.E mission which stands for **R** idiculously **K** riff'n **E** arly. It was still dark outside when I woke, probably two hours until sunrise. I pushed open the transparasteel doors leading to the balcony of my quarters and stepped out. I was expecting to see dark buildings and vacant roads, but I was shocked when I spotted tens of thousands…or possibly millions of people surrounding the palace. They were wearing white robes with hoods and holding candles. As I gazed down at the eerie sight I was struck by the silence. Nobody was talking, not even a whisper. The only sound was the occasional scuff of boots against the asphalt roads.

I jumped when Zylie came up behind me and put her hand on my shoulder. "What is it?"

I put a finger to my lips making a hush gesture. I leaned in and whispered to her. "I think the faithful have arrived." I pointed to the people five floors below.

Zylie looked down, her eyes going wide before she backed away from the balcony railing while motioning for me to do the same. When we were in the apartment she closed the doors. "Oh Kriff! That's creepy."

"I know," I said with a nod. "It is like a scene from a horror holodrama we saw together. What was it called?"

" _Legion of Martyrs_ ,"

I pointed to my wife. "That's it." I gave an involuntary shudder. "The cult leader convinces his followers he is a god and the planet should be cleansed of all non-believers."

"Don't worry." Zylie wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sure Marcus is not going to become a religious tyrant."

I gave her a squeeze. "Of course not…it just unnerving to find a million people lurking under your balcony." I then realized something. "This is probably why Marcus looked so nervous and distracted earlier. He has to make a speech to a hoard of zealots."

"I would be nervous too." She turned and moved toward the sleeping area. "We better get dressed. The ceremony starts in an hour."

"Yeah," I grabbed my suitcase containing my Jedi robes and tossed it on the bed. "I missed most of my son's childhood. I don't want to miss the start of his adulthood."


	33. Chapter 33

**_Entry 108_ **

After dressing in appropriate attire we met up with Ben, Valla and my father in the corridor. My dad led us to an elevator, which brought us up to a huge elevated terrace surrounded by a marble balustrade. To the rear of the terrace was the entrance to the palace ballroom. We followed my father into the ballroom and up an ornate stairwell and onto a large balcony overlooking the terrace. Dozen of luxurious cushioned chairs were lined up along the railing with small tables-covered with an assortment of beverages and finger food-interspersed between the seating.

"Your mother, brother and family will be along shortly." My dad pointed to the terrace below. "I will be guarding the king when he gives his speech down there. I'll see you after the ceremony."

We took our seats and waited for the ceremony to begin. Shortly after my father left an elderly woman garbed in a white robe with a large gold starburst pattern embroidered on the front entered the balcony.

"Greetings honored guests. I am Sister Pyha. I am the Mor'ir of the Royal Monastery and follower of the Bright Path. I am one of the King's many spiritual advisors. His majesty has sent me to answer any questions you might have concerning today's ceremony." We all started to rise to greet her, but she motioned for us to remain seated. "No need to get up. There will be plenty of standing during the ceremony."

Despite her insistence that we shouldn't rise to our feet, I didn't feel right making introductions while seated. I stood and motioned to my family. "I am Talon Tantiss and this is my wife, Zylie, and her sister Valla and Valla's husband Ben Skywalker. We're related to Mark Tantiss, the king's Force instructor and security officer."

"It is a pleasure. " She lowered her head in a solemn gesture before looking at us expectantly. "Do you have any questions?"

Valla spoke up. "Yes, what is a Mor'ir?"

The old woman smiled revealing perfectly white, straight teeth that I assume were implants. "It means Mother-teacher in the ancient language."

Ben turned in his seat to regard the woman. "How many people are you expecting to witness this ceremony?"

She chewed her bottom lip as she contemplated the answer. "We expect over two million people to be in attendance and approximately one billion people watching the ceremony live on the holonet."

My jaw dropped as I sat down. "Is this ceremony that important?"

"Yes, very much so, especially to those within the ministry. I have been waiting for this day since I joined the order seventy years ago."

My brow furrowed. "I don't understand. The King is turning thirteen. You couldn't have waited more than thirteen years for this day."

She gave a soft chuckle. "It is true that his body is only thirteen years old, but his spirit is timeless. He is _The Chosen_ , the _Son of the Great Creator_ , the all knowing, omnipotent beholder of the past, present and future, and the protector of the Realm."

I suppressed the urge to refute that ludicrous claim. Arguing the point would only drag me into a highly volatile religious discussion, piss off this elderly church leader and possibly cause a nasty political incident. I instead opted to keep my mouth shut. Unfortunately, I apparently couldn't hide the skepticism in my eyes because she pressed the matter. "You are not a believer?"

I blew out a nervous breath. "I'm sorry. I am an outsider with no understanding of your religion. I don't mean any offense. I cannot believe what I don't understand."

She smiled widely. "It would be my pleasure to enlighten you."

I groaned inwardly. The last thing I wanted to hear was some aging devotee babble on about religion.

"The Church of the Bright Path believes the galaxy was created by an all powerful God that lives within us all." She looked at my robes and gave a tight smile. "I believe your sect calls it _The Force."_

"Yes, we do," I said softly surprised that she is admitting that their god was the Force…or was she insinuating the Force is actually their god?

"Our god, who we refer to as the Great Creator, had many children, some good and some evil. These children are celestial beings who attempt to influence all sentients and their actions."

"And you think King Marcus is one of those children?" Ben asked.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, although the same word is used for son, daughter and grandchildren in the ancient tomes."

"So, King Marcus is either the son or grandson of the Great Creator," Zylie said sounding a little thrilled by the news.

"Or possibly the great grandson. The celestials are timeless, therefore the ancient writings do not clearly specify to which generation The Chosen will belong to."

"If he is a grandson of the Great Creator. Do you have any idea which celestial fathered him?" I asked while trying to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

I guess she didn't notice I wasn't on-board with all of this god-talk because she answered with much thought. "We believe he is son of Raksaka the mountain king."

I suppressed a groan. This was starting to sound like the old Corellian fables of gods and spirits that I've seen in fantasy holos.

"According to our ancient writings, Raksaka was born within a great mountain and watches over his people from the mountain top. He is a protector, warrior and great teacher. He is the Great Creator's favorite offspring."

"And why is that?" Valla asked seemingly entranced by the story.

The old woman gazed at her intently. "Because he is the only child who does not wish to dethrone his father. He is selfless and does not desire anything but to protect the people who live within his realm. If _The Chosen_ is the son of Raksaka, then that is a very good sign for it is believed the children of the celestials will acquire the traits of their parents. The prophecy states _The Chosen_ will defeat the enemies of the light and will bring prosperity and lasting peace to the galaxy."

"And why do your people believe Marcus is this _Chosen_ and son of Raksaka?" I asked.

"Because, when he became king the mountains of Ec Pand revealed their bounty of crystals. He has made the Indupar Crown Worlds rich beyond imagination. He does not hoard the money for himself, but has shared it with his people, building schools, hospitals, parks, housing. He has instituted tuition free college and tech schools for his citizens and developed elder care facilities for the infirm and elderly." A tear ran down her cheek as she talked. "He has fought off our enemies and has performed miracles. If he is not _The Chosen_ he is the most loving, noble, generous and self-sacrificing human I have ever encountered…and that in itself is a miracle in a galaxy full of such pain and suffering."

_'Damn,'_ I thought. Her words carried such passion I almost believed the myth.

"He is a fine king," I admitted honestly, knowing I couldn't have asked for a better son.

I was going to ask he some more questions, but my mother, brother and his family showed up at that moment interrupting the conversation.

As I finished introducing them to the Mor'ir of the Royal Monastery, we heard music wafting up from the lower levels.

"The ceremony will start soon," the elderly woman announced, her voice cracking with emotion.

As I watched Marcus address his people I thought back to the Jedi prophecies written in the ancient books found on Ossus. It talked about a _Chosen One_ who would bring balance to the Force.

I thought about it for a moment but then dismissed any notion that Marcus was anything other than my son and king. Nonetheless Sister Pyha was right about one thing…he was a miracle.

He was my miracle, my son, and my life… and I love him dearly.

.

.

**_Entry 109_ **

The ceremony was long and often confusing. Sometimes my son would speak in the ancient tongue of the state religion, and then he would switch back to Basic. I was glad Sister Pyha was able to coach us through the ritual. Sometimes we were to stand, other times we sat down, then, when a keyword was said, we were to kneel. Then we were back to our feet, sit down, stand again and then we were to repeat some passages and shake the hands of those around us and say, _'May you walk the path of righteousness'_. With all the standing and sitting, I felt like I was taking a low impact aerobics class.

The speech my son gave in Basic was inspiring. He talked about the followers of the Bright Path leading by example. He warned them not to proselytize with words, but by acts of goodness and generosity. Love one another and be helpful to our neighbors and community. Treat all creatures as you would like to be treated. There was much, much more, but that was the general gist of things. When the sun rose above the horizon the ritual ended.

We all stood and I looked over the balcony feeling a bit overwhelmed. Marcus has millions of people chanting on the streets below and worshiping him like a god. It was unnerving.

"That's it," my mother said nonchalantly. "Come on, let's get breakfast." She moved toward the balcony stairway and motioned for us to follow. "Your dad is going to meet us at our apartment. We can order something from the palace kitchen. Marcus will be busy with meetings until midday, then he will join us for lunch."

My brother hosted his daughter Jessa up into his arms. "Breakfast sounds good."

_'What?'_ Was I the only person disturbed by the exorbitant display of religious devotion and adulation bestowed upon my son?

I couldn't discuss the subject in public so I followed my mother back to her quarters. Once the family was inside and the door closed, I voiced my concerns. "Mom, doesn't it bother you that most of the planet believes your grandson is a god?"

She made a dismissive wave of her hand. "What can we do about it? They'll believe what they want to believe."

The entire family crowded in around the dining table as mom sent around a datapad so we could order our breakfast. "Why are you upset, Talon? Did Sister Phya tell you her theory that Marcus is related to the Mountain god?"

"Yes, she did." I shook my head in disbelief. "How can educated people believe those myths?"

My mother wagged her finger in disapproval. "You shouldn't disparage other people's religions. I taught you better than that."

I gave a caustic laugh. "Mom, I am only judgmental of religions who believe my son is the offspring of a celestial. That is a fairly narrow spectrum of prejudice." I put my hands out about two centimeters apart for emphasis. "In fact, my narrow-mindedness is so narrow that it shouldn't be held against me."

Mom rolled her eyes. "I think you are taking the story too literally. The ancient scriptures are symbolic stories, allegorical writings to teach people important life lessons."

"Maybe the ancient people used the word celestial to describe Force-users?" Zylie commented with a grin.

Ben, Jaden and Jysella scoffed, but Zylie shushed them. "No really. Let's substitute god and celestial with Jedi and it starts to make sense. Sister Pyha said Marcus is either the son or grandson of the celestial-slash-Jedi born within a mountain…maybe like Mount Tantiss." She gave me a knowing look. "Your dad was created and taken out of a cloning cylinder from a secret laboratory deep within a mountain. Your father was a Jedi Guardian…a protector. She said _The Chosen_ —who she believes is Marcus—was the knower of the past, present and future. He is a postcog and a seer. He is also the protector of his realm. You are just getting tripped up over this celestial wording. But what if the sacred writings were actually describing a person with almost magical abilities? If so, that sounds a lot like a Force-user to me."

I shook my head in frustration. "Let's say I believe the church scriptures were actually describing a Jedi, then that still means Marcus' birth was foretold hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. Doesn't that bother you?"

They all fell silent for a moment. Valla was the first to speak. "Talon, the prophecy described by Sister Pyha was a good one. If true, Marcus is going to bring peace to the galaxy."

I threw up my hands in frustration. "That's another thing that bothers me. She didn't say he would bring peace to the Indupar Crown Worlds, but the Galaxy. How does a king on a rimworld planet bring peace to a galaxy? That implies he will rule the known worlds. What about the Chief-of-State, the Hapan Consortium, the Empire? Is he going to simply broker a peace among these various kingdoms or are we talking about uniting the galaxy under one leadership?"

Ben shrugged. "Maybe he is the Force-user of the Jedi prophesies, _The Chosen One_. The Jedi who will bring balance to the Force."

"That title is already taken by another." I startled by my father's voice and I turned to find him walking up behind us. He must have come into the apartment from the rear entrance.

Ben's brow furrowed. "Who was the _Chosen One_?"

My dad took off his dress coat and tossed it on the couch. "The old Jedi Council thought your grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was _The Chosen One_."

Ben laughed out loud. "Well, they thought wrong. All my grandfather brought to the Force was darkness." He cocked his head to the side questioningly. "Where did you read that? My father never discussed that with me."

My father shrugged. "It is a memory I gained from Palpatine. I don't know if I ever told your father."

Ben made a face. "You know my dad hates it when you withhold information."

I could see my dad's jaw tighten, a sure sign that he was getting irritated. "Ben, I am not a member of the Jedi Order. I don't report to your father anymore and I have told him repeatedly that the memories I gained from the Emperor Reborn were mine to keep." He tapped a finger to his temple. "I'll keep them safely locked away in my head. The knowledge is far too dangers. It will die with me."

"Then why tell us about _The Chosen One_?" Ben asked.

"I didn't want you to start assigning prophesies to Marcus. There is more than enough speculation about his role in the future." He walked around the table to my mother and kissed her on the cheek. "All we can do is hope that he was raised in a way that he will behave honorably no matter what his fate."

I threw a thumb toward my wife. "Did you hear Zylie's theory that you are the Mountain god and son of the _Great Creator_?"

My dad smirked. "Maybe I am." He wrapped an arm around my mother's waist and winked. "What do you think? Do I have any god-like qualities?"

Thankfully, my mother simply giggled and pushed him away. "The kids don't want to hear their parents talking mush."

"Thank you, Mom!" I groused. "I wish you told that to Dad thirty or so years ago. I could have avoided a whole lot of embarrassment in front of my friends."

My dad chuckled. "I'm sure you and Zylie will be embarrassing your future children in the same way one day."

I smiled slightly knowing my father was probably right. "Maybe." I sighed deeply. "I just have a bad feeling when it comes to all this religious fervor."

My father nodded before coming over and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Come into my office so we can talk." He glanced over to little Jessa sitting on her mother's lap. "We don't want to bore my granddaughter."

"Okay," I said softly, suspecting he wanted to tell me something he didn't want the others to hear. We walked to the rear of the massive apartment and through a large wooden door leading to his private office space…or what my mother calls _'Dad's testosterone den'_. The room had an old fashioned fireplace, wooden floors covered with expensive area rugs, leather padded chairs, a couch, a huge holoprojector, and a refrigerator unit probably filled with my dad's favorite juices or flavored water. The walls were dotted with display cases containing medals for valor and heroism, weapons, flags and honorary certificates. I noticed some new additions: a sub-repeating blaster, a corodex snare, a Zygerrian electrowhip along with an assortment of daggers.

I looked around impressed. "I see you're still hoarding weapons."

"It is a collection," my father corrected me. "If I was actually hoarding I would have to make little paths between storage boxes and there would be a dozen pittins running around, marking their territory and using the fireplace as a litterbox." He turned around to gaze at all of his military regalia. "No, this is a collection of hard-earned war artifacts." He closed the door behind him and gestured to the daggers on display. "The big knife in the center is a war trophy from the Battle of Ec Pand. That's a Nagai curved dagger. It was worn by the Nagai general that Marcus defeated."

I smirked. "So, it really isn't your war trophy."

My dad shrugged. "Marcus said he didn't want anything that commemorated his first kill…so I took it."

I fell silent for a moment. "Well, I'm glad he doesn't enjoy killing. It is a nasty business to get into."

My dad sat down and motioned for me to sit on the couch across from him. "I know the situation here is upsetting to you, but there is a reason Marcus lets his people believe he's something more than human."

I sat forward in my seat eager to hear his explanation. "And what reason is that?"

He heaved a sigh before beginning his story. "Talon, you have been forbidden from living here and becoming a major part of your son's life because we don't know how the public will respond if they discover you're his father and Marcus usurped the throne. If the truth came out, there could be problems."

I scoffed. "You don't know how the public will react? I don't believe that. The seers seem to know everything. I just think they don't want anybody else having influence over the king."

My father shook his head. "That's not true. They were okay for me being here and I guarantee Marcus listens to me…most of the time." He ran this fingers through his beard, a sure sign that he was uneasy and intended to choose his words carefully. "You have to remember that the seers have problems seeing Marcus in the time stream…so when I say we don't know how the public will react to news of his paternity…I am telling the truth."

"Okay," I grumbled, frustrated with the whole situation. "So why exactly _is_ he allowing his people to think he is the God-king?"

"Because the question of his paternity would become a mute point if people believed his soul is that of _The Chosen_. His body is simply a vessel to hold this spirit. The gods and celestials of this planet's religion are not made of physical matter. They are luminous beings. If the followers of the Bright Path—and that is a huge majority on the Indupar Crown Worlds—believe Marcus is _The Chosen_ , then his paternity wouldn't be an issue." A broad smile blossomed across my father's face. "You could come live on Indupar. We probably would never officially name you as his father, but you can be here and help raise him with little worries of questions being asked. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

I sat back in my seat with a feeling a nervous elation. "That is all I have ever wanted, but still…"

My father frowned. "What else is bothering you, Talon?"

I looked to the ground. "Dad, I'm afraid all of this hero worship is bad for a teenager. I don't want him to turn out like me."

"What?" my father said, sounding genuinely confused.

I looked up and gazed at him sadly. "Dad, I know I caused you and mom a lot of aggravation. I let being a Jedi go to my head in my youth. I was always in trouble. I was tabloid fodder for years. I was in court to face a multitude of erroneous paternity cases. I was repeatedly called into the Grand Master's office and reprimanded. That was all because I believed I was a mighty Jedi. I can't imagine how insolent I would have been if I actually thought I was a god."

My father came over and sat next to me on the couch. "Talon, I can only hope Marcus turns out to be a man like you." He reached over and gave me a big hug.

I tolerated the close contact for a few seconds before I pushed him away with a laugh. "Stop it. You know I was a major pain. Don't lie."

Dad reached up and gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Yes, you were a royal pain in the ass as a kid, but most of the trouble you got into wasn't of your own making…except for your little pranks you'd pull on your brother or cousins, but look at you now. You are a kind, honorable, and brave Jedi." He dropped his hand and smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, you should know that Marcus absolutely does not believe he is a god. He also knows the gods, celestials and/or the Force didn't conspire to create him. He is Marcus Indupar, son of Talon Tantiss and Ema Aiti, and grandson of Kira Starkos and Mark Tantiss…the Mountain god!" My father popped to his feet and put his hand up in the air in a heroic pose. "All bow down and worship my godlike grandeur and awe inspiring beard."

I had to roll my eyes as I stood. "I should have never mentioned Zylie's theory. I'm never going to hear the end of it am I?"

Dad gave me a wink. "Probably not." He threw his arm around my shoulder and walked me to the door. "Let's get some breakfast…and don't worry about Marcus, he knows what he's doing."

I tried to smile, but had trouble hiding my unease. "I sure hope so, dad. I hope so."


	34. Chapter 34

**_Entry 110_ **

After breakfast my family and I sat around the kitchen table and caught up on what was going on in our lives. We were all having a good time, except little Jessa who fidgeted and looked bored out of her mind. Eventually my brother found some children's programing on the holonet so the adults could talk.

"How are your parents?" my father asked my wife and her sister.

"They're fine. Mom and Dad are still managing the Karrde cargo business," Valla told him. "They are talking about retiring and handing over the business to me and Zylie probably next year."

I looked over to Zylie questioningly. She hadn't mentioned anything to me about this. She noticed my gaze and quickly added, "Nothing is certain yet. Dad has said the same thing every year for the last five years. So I wouldn't hold my breath."

My Dad looked to Zylie and then Valla. "If it does happen, does that mean you will stay on Corellia where the company is headquartered?"

The two sisters looked extremely uncomfortable with this line of questioning. "We don't know," Valla looked over to Ben apologetically. "Since we don't think Dad is serious…we haven't discussed this with Ben or Talon yet."

"Oh," my father whispered sheepishly. "Forget I mentioned it." He turned to Ben. "How are your parents?"

Ben shrugged. "They just returned from Ossus. They are talking about making the subtemple to a Junior Academy for the younger preteen apprentices."

"Is he keeping the adults on Coruscant?"

Ben nodded. "As far as I know, but that may change. The rise in Force adept criminals is putting us in a bad light. The situation is getting so bad that Chief-of-State has already ordered the use of the midichlorians killing virus on convicts. The last we heard is he has weaponized the virus just in case Coruscant is attacked by an army of Force-users."

I expected my father to scoff and say, _'What army?_ ' but he didn't. He just ran a hand through his beard and said, "That's smart."

"What?" I sputtered. "Why is that smart? What Force strong army is going to attack Coruscant? None, that's what! He is going to use it on us, Dad!"

My father's face scrunched up. "I don't know about that. He doesn't trust the Jedi, but he likes having them in his arsenal. The virus could simply be a safeguard."

Ben's eyes narrowed. "A safeguard to what?"

Dad chuckled. "From Force-users trying to attack Coruscant and take over the government."

I gave a derisive snort. "The Jedi are not going to try to take over the government."

"I didn't say Jedi. It could be a criminal gang of Force-users."

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, do you really believe the Chief-of-State doesn't have the Jedi somewhere in the back of his mind when he ordered the creation of the virus?"

My dad sighed deeply. "Listen, I know Streke doesn't trust the Jedi, but who can blame him."

When I opened my mouth to debate that statement my father held up his hand silencing me.

"Here me out, because, in my opinion, the Jedi are oblivious as to how countless people in this galaxy perceive them." He shifted in his seat and pulled in a deep breath before continuing. "When I was on Coruscant overseeing the stygium crystals negotiations I got the opportunity to talk to many world leaders or their representatives and I noticed a majority exhibited apprehension over the growing power of the Jedi Order… and I am not simply talking about their Force abilities. The Jedi have enormous political power, whether they like to admit it or not." He pointed his finger at Ben. "The Skywalker/Solo family is the most powerful dynasty in the Galaxy. Mokk Streke has to know that if Luke doesn't approve of one of his decisions the Grand Master could make his life very difficult. A rift between the Chief-of-State and the Jedi could upset the treaty between the Galactic Alliance and the Empire or the Hapes Consortium."

My father's words sent a cold shiver down my spine. When I had talked to Deke Tavik I theorized that the attack on the Hapans was a practice run. I thought it could be somebody preparing for an attack on Coruscant, but what if it was the Galactic Alliance preparing for a possible attack on the Jedi? If they took out Jacen and Tenel Ka it would weaken this Skywalker/Solo dynasty my dad described. Streke had access to Force-users. He has entire penitentiary wing full of convicted Force adepts. He could easily offer them their freedom in exchange for their cooperation. Plus, Dr. J'Shan stated Mokk Streke admitted to him that a member of his security force carried a lightsaber and used it to protect him from another lightsaber wielding attacker. So Streke does have at least one guard that carries a lightsaber. Could the lightsaber carrying man that attacked the Hapan royals be the man who had protected Streke?

While I was pondering this mystery I didn't realize my dad was talking to me. "Talon. Talon!" My dad waved his hand in front of me pulling me out of my musings. "What are you zoning out about?"

"I was just thinking about what you said." I paused in thought. "If Streke worries about the Solo/Skywalker family, could he have been behind the attack on Hapes…or perhaps the pirate attacks on the Empire? Could he be trying to take down any allies of the Jedi prior to an attack on the Order?"

My father rubbed the back of his neck while he considered the possibility. "It's possible that one group is responsible for both attacks…but I honestly don't believe Streke has the brains to come up with such an elaborate plan."

A scathing laugh escaped my lips. "That is very true. He isn't smart enough…but he doesn't have to be. He is working for the mimetic suited man. And there is at least one more person pulling the strings because the guy in the mimetic suit said he has a ' _master_ '. Somebody took a lot of time and effort to get Streke into power and now they want the Jedi off Coruscant for some reason and if we don't go willingly who knows what he'll do with the virus."

My father threw his hands up in the air. "Then maybe you should go. You are not doing Coruscant any favors by staying there. Every year the number of uninvited and turned away Jedi hopefuls increases and so does the crime rate…and it is only going to get worse. Right now they are simply doing petty crimes, but if they begin to organize they could become very dangerous. All they need is one criminal mastermind to unite them. Then you'll have an army of marginal adepts who are furious at the Jedi for not giving them a chance to train. Who knows what havoc they can create? At least if the Jedi are gone they can no longer be blamed for any continued influx of unsolicited Jedi applicants."

"I don't think the Grand Master relishes the idea of leaving Coruscant when there might be trouble on the horizon," I muttered before looking at my father questioningly. "Do you think Streke and the Mimetic suited man could be building an army of Force-users from the prison population?"

He shook his head. "If that's true, then why develop a virus that could Force sterilize them? It seems counterintuitive."

"Maybe the virus is to make sure they're kept in control," I offered. "Or to use on the Jedi, like we originally thought."

"I don't buy into all of these conspiracy theories," my brother chimed in. "I am working on a vaccine that will make the Jedi immune to the virus. Dr. J'Shan is helping me and I really doubt our research hasn't reached Streke's desk. He has to know. If the Jedi were the intended target then he should be vehemently opposed to the creation of a vaccine…but so far he hasn't said a word."

I looked to my father. "Can't the seers help us figure this out?"

My dad forced a casual shrug. "I don't know. You can ask them, but they usually don't answer questions. If they want you to know something, they'll tell you."

I decided to change my line of questioning. "How about your friend Deke? His intelligence contacts appear to be spot on. Maybe they could help us solve this mystery."

Dad lifted up his palms in a _'who knows'_ gesture. "You'll have to ask him."

I blew out a frustrated breath. "Your friend Deke won't answer my questions either. It would be nice to find out whom he is talking to. Did Deke ever tell you the source of his information?"

"All of these questions are starting to sound like an interrogation," my father said irately. "Did Luke send you to question me?"

I was considering what to tell my father when my mother interrupted our conversation.

"Stop it you two." She glared at Dad and me. "We've had this fight before. You ask your dad questions, your dad accuses you of spying for the Grand Master, rinse, repeat. You're giving me a headache." Mom let out a frustrated groan while rubbing her temples. "This is supposed to be a family gathering and not a war room. You can discuss the details of any upcoming conflicts after Marcus' birthday. I want peace in this house."

My father lowered his eyes. "Sorry, Honey. We won't discuss this again." He turned to glower at me. "Right, Talon?"

"Yes, dad. No more political debates at the dinner table."

My mom let out a loud melodramatic sigh of relief. "Thank you. Let's talk about something else." She turned to Zylie. "So when are you and Talon going to give me a grandbaby?"

Zylie answered without skipping a beat. "Not for another nine months, at least."

I had to laugh. Mom sure knows how to change a subject from one uncomfortable discussion to one even more awkward.

 

**.**

**.**

**_Entry 111_ **

Marcus showed up around lunchtime. He had changed out of his ceremonial garb and now wore opulent, but comfortable looking, trousers and tunic. "Sorry that I couldn't meet you for breakfast," my son apologized. "I promised mom I would spend breakfast and dinner with the maternal side of my family today."

I walked up to him and gave him a fierce hug. "No problem. It's just nice to be able to celebrate with you on this special day."

He gave me a boyish grin. "Thanks, Dad." He then went around the room to greet everybody individually before we presented him with birthday presents.

I was a little nervous about bestowing my gift. I am sure it will look cheap, but what do you give a boy who has more money than I could possibly imagine? I figured I would go with something homemade and personal. After much thought, Zylie and I put together a holoprojector presentation of the paternal side of his family. There were holos of my parents when they were dating, images of me and my brother growing up, and holos of the Skywalker and Solo family since Marcus is technically related to them due to his grandfather being an altered Luke Skywalker clone.

My brother and Jysella volunteered to spend a week or two teaching Jedi healing techniques to either Marcus or any of his Indupar Knights that had a desire to enter the medical field. Ben and Valla purchased Marcus a leather jacket…and not just any leather jacket, but one that is usually only issued to Jedi Knights. It did not have the embroidered logo of the Order, but it was unmistakably of the same style and manufacturer.

My mother went to the kitchen to retrieve Marcus' favorite cake while my dad said he had to go down the hall to get his gift for Marcus.

I was so preoccupied with watching my son trying to convince my mother that she should serve the cake first that I didn't notice my father returning to the apartment. What happened next was so sudden that my Jedi reflexes couldn't even help me. My father entered the apartment and then I heard a deep feral howl. I turn toward the noise and found a Vornskr mid-pounce and going for my throat. I remember thinking, _'Why did dad bring Princess to the party?!'_ The weight of the animal's front paws hit my chest and I went down. My second thought was, ' _I may have to hurt Zylie's pet if I am going to survive this encounter'._ All I could see were long, white, sharp teeth centimeters from my face. I moved my arms up and had grabbed the animal around the neck in an effort to push it away when a long wet tongue slurped across my face from my chin to forehead. It took a couple more drool drenched tongue licks before I realize I wasn't being attacked, but enthusiastically greeted by this animal. I pushed the vornskr away from my face so I could focus on the creature and called out in surprise. "Kriffer!"

"Talon!" my mother admonished me while covering my son's ears with her hands. "Language."

I laughed as I sat up and pet my runt Vornskr. "That's his name, Mom."

My dad shook his head. "No, his name is Dak. We can't have you calling him the K-word all the time." My father knelt down and whispered to me. "Dak stands for Dumb Ass Kriffer." He winked as he stood and offered me his hand, pulling me to my feet.

I looked to my father. "I thought the people who purchased Princess' litter wanted all the animals."

My father shrugged a meaty shoulder. "They did, but I asked Karrde to let me know if they backed out on this little guy. I figure the animals were probably going to be used for guard duty, and such a little pup might not be wanted." He looked over to my son. "Marcus once mentioned to me how much he liked Princess, so I thought a vornskr would make a great present."

I looked down at Kriffer…I mean Dak and had to agree he was a little small for guard duty. A full-grown male is usually a meter in height and can weigh around sixty to seventy kilograms. Little Dak was no taller than a half meter in height and probably weighed 30 kilos.

Dak gazed up at me, his tongue lolling to the side, and looking so incredibly happy. "Dad, it's been weeks since he left Bastion, have you had him all this time?"

My father shook his head. "I sent him to obedience school. We don't want him biting off any of Marcus' important parts…like he did you."

My son laughed and I had to roll my eyes. I am never going to live down the nipple-biting incident. My father looked over to Marcus. "Well, what do you think? Do you like him?"

Marcus grinned ear-to-ear. "You know I do, Grandpa." Marcus went to hug the animal, but Dak backed away and pressed his body against my side.

I reached down and ran my hand through his coarse, striped fur as I talked to him like I would a pittin. "Hey little guy, you know your Mom won't tolerate you being on the ship with her. Marcus is going to take good care of you." I waved my son over. He knelt next to the vornskr who tolerated Marcus petting him.

I turned to Zylie. "This explains why Princess got all weird on us at the kennel. I bet she smelled his scent."

I went over to the couch and sat down and discovered Dak still thought of himself as a lap vornskr. He climbed up on the couch and tried to settle down into my lap like he often did as a pup. Let me tell you, having the clawed paw of a thirty-kilo animal land on your crotch is not comfortable. I ended up having to stand because Dak was committed to lounging on me.

As we ate lunch, Marcus made a big fuss over all the gifts exclaiming they were the best presents ever. I am sure that is not even close to being true. I'm sure that politicians and other influential people throughout his kingdom sent him a variety of very expensive gifts. Hopefully the old adage, _'It's the thought that counts'_ is true.

.

.

**_Entry 112_ **

Later on that day my son pulled me into my father's den to talk. I figured this discussion was coming and I wasn't looking forward to it.

"Dad, now that I am King and leader of the church there is little chance of me ever being dethroned, why don't you stay? I want to establish my own Void Jumper Company and I'd like you to be the commander of the unit. Or you could be in charge of the Indupar Knights."

I sat down on my father's leather couch as I blew out a nervous breath. "I want to son, but I need to talk to Zylie before I make a decision. I just found out her dad may be retiring and the ladies might have to take over the company that is based on Corellia. I don't know how this will all work out."

I was surprised when he smiled with a nod. "Understandable. It's a decision you can't make alone. I just wanted to make the offer. Perhaps sometime in the future living on Indupar might be a good option. I know you mentioned settling down if you ever had more children."

My eyes narrowed. It sounded like he knew something. "Am I going to have children in the near future?"

He laughed. "Are you asking me if I peeked into your future? If so, yes, I did, but the future is always in motion and the time stream shows hundreds of possible and very diverse futures. Sometimes I have siblings, sometimes I don't. There are futures where you remain a Jedi Knight all your life and in others you become an Indupar Knight. I really can't go into details. If I tell you more then that might alter the course of the time stream."

I gave him a knowing look. "So you admit the Seers can alter the future."

He leaned against the wall and stared at the top of his boots. "It is possible to do things that might nudge one time stream into fruition." He looked up to me wide-eyed. "But I would never do anything to influence your future…unless I thought the situation was life-or-death. Whether you come to Indupar or stay a Jedi is up to you. I know you will do what is best for all concerned."

I stood and walked over to Marcus and embraced him in a fatherly hug. "Let me talk to Zylie. I want to be with you. I just have to work out some details."

"That's all I can ask for, Dad."

.

.

**_Entry 113_ **

That night when Zylie and I were preparing for bed I broached the subject. "What do you think about living on Indupar? I can quit the Jedi and become either an Indupar Knight or an officer in their army."

Zylie thought about it. "What about my father's business?"

I pulled back the blankets on the bed and climbed under the covers. "Marcus has unlimited funds. He can purchase the company and allow your parents to retire in luxury. There are dozens of possibilities that will allow us to leave without putting your parents in a bind."

She climbed in bed with me and sighed. "What about my sister and Ben?"

I shrugged. "They could live on Indupar also."

Zylie rolled her eyes. "We've discussed this before and you yourself said the chances of Ben leaving the Jedi order are zero to none. His parents would be heartbroken if he did."

Zylie was right, Ben would never leave the Jedi. "How about we move to Indupar and your sister and Ben can visit." I leaned over and kissed her softly along her jawline before nuzzling her neck. "Zylie, maybe not now, but eventually. I can't see myself living on a ship with Ben and your sister forever and I don't want to raise a family on a ship."

She squirmed when I kissed the pulse of her neck. "Stop trying to influence my decision with the promise of mind-blowing sex. I'll discuss this with Valla. We grew up on a ship, so it doesn't bother me or my sister, but I know it can be claustrophobic at times for you and Ben." She gave me a curious look. "Won't you miss being a Jedi Knight?"

I shook my head. "Like you said, we've discussed this before and my answer hasn't changed. I'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant I could be with my son. Besides, I'll be using my skills here. Nobody gives Jacen or Jaina any grief about leaving the Jedi Order. They're off defending their kingdoms. I'd be doing the same on Indupar."

Zylie looked doubtful. "But Mara Jade Skywalker was your Master. How do you think she is going to take the news of you leaving?"

My stomach knotted at the thought of telling my former Master. She definitely would be disappointed and confused. When my father left Coruscant with no explanation I could sense it bothered Mara deeply. My dad always thought of Mara Jade as his sister and I know she saw him as part of her family. "She'll be hurt…unless I explain to her about Marcus. But I can't do that without getting permission from him, his mother, the Queen and probably the Seers." I shook my head in frustration. "The Jedi can't expect a lifelong commitment from me. I have been fighting wars and doing Jedi missions for half my lifespan. The other half was spent training to be a Jedi. The Jedi Order has monopolized my entire existence. When will it be enough? When I'm dead on some battlefield?"

"Oh, hey," Zylie said and she reached out and pulled me into a hug. "That type of talk is a little depressing. Don't get upset. I'll work something out with my sister. You'll need to talk to Ben about the best time and way to break the news to his family."

A wide grin spread across my face. "Does that mean you are considering staying here?"

"Yes." She looked to me with genuine compassion in her eyes. "You missed too much time with your son. He'll be a man in a few years. If you want to help raise him, you need to do it now."

_'Gods, I love this woman!'_

I planted a searing kiss on her lips as I caressed her soft curves. "Thank you," I whispered against her ear.

"You're welcome, but I have to admit my decision was definitely influenced by the promise of mind-blowing sex," she said in a teasing tone.

"That," I said lustfully. "Is one promise I intend to keep."


	35. Chapter 35

**_Entry 114_ **

The next day I went over to my parents' quarters to discuss my decision. My mom was out shopping, but dad was there drinking caf and reading his datapad.

"I know Marcus will be thrilled about me staying," I said while sitting around the breakfast table. "But I am concerned about his mom not wanting me around. I think I need to talk to Ema."

My father nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, she is not fond of surprises."

"Do you think she'll be okay with me being here?"

My dad shrugged. "I don't see any reason why not. The question is, is Zylie going to be okay with you living in close proximity with your former lover and mother of your child?"

I groaned. "She said she supports us living here to be close to my son. I know I will have occasional interactions with Ema, but it's not like I have been pining away for her the past decade. Once I discovered her deception…that she fully intended to never let me know I was a father…that burned away the tender feelings I once had for her. I don't hate her, I understand her reasoning, but the pain of losing so many years with my son still stings." I gave my father a forced smile. "Zylie knows my pain. She has no fears of me running back to Ema"

He nodded slowly. "I'd offer to come with you when you talk to her, but I am positive she is still a tad upset with me concerning Marcus being on a battlefield, and, you know, decapitating a invading general before he became a teenager."

I gave a snort. "She's mad at the wrong people. I think the seers are to blame."

My father made a gesture of resignation. "The seers probably are responsible, but their heart is in the right place."

I scoffed. "How do you know that, Dad?"

He took a long sip of his caf before answering. "They have meddled with much and so far everything I have seen has been for the best."

"Like what?"

My father ran a hand over his beard. "Your son, for one. I know you hate how they manipulated the Queen and Ema to seek out the Jedi for protection and then when Ema was pregnant they convinced her not to tell you about the baby…but without the first manipulation you wouldn't have Marcus at all." He paused slightly. "In fact, you can say their machinations have made our family what it is today."

I blew out a skeptic breath. "That doesn't mean I like them or trust them."

"That's okay," my dad said softly. "You don't have to." He rose from his chair. "You better go see Ema. You don't want to go back to Luke and resign your Jedi robes and then find out there's going to be problems with you living here."

I stood. "You're right. There is no reason to delay."

I said goodbye to my dad and went off to see Ema.

.

.

**_Entry 115_ **

I am currently aboard the _Vazy Princess_ returning to Coruscant. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my son and playing with Kriffer (aka Dak). My talk with Ema went well. She said she had no problem with me being around my son and living in the palace with my wife. Marcus was ecstatic, but I told him I needed time to make all the arrangements and it might be a few months before I was ready to leave Coruscant and the Jedi Order. The thought of being separated for a few more months didn't dim his enthusiasm. I have never seen him so happy.

The really hard part will be breaking the news to Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara. I am not looking forward to that.

.

.

**_Entry 116_ **

When we arrived on Coruscant I was told the move of the children to Ossus had commenced. It turns out that the Force-related criminal activity has increased, and with it, public outrage. Even the media have turned against us. We are blamed for every criminal Force-user on the planet. Some reporters suggest the Jedi are involved in organized crime and are behind the attack on slavers. Now, one would think being blamed for attacking slave masters would be a good thing, but it isn't because nobody seems to know where the liberated slaves are located. For all we know the slaves are being resold. Uncle Luke decided he would send more Jedi out to look for the anti-slavers and try to discover the fate of the 'liberated' slaves. Because of all of the bantha crap the Jedi are dealing with, I decided to not quit the Jedi right now. I will wait until we can get the younglings to their new home on Ossus.

.

.

**_Entry 117_ **

For the last month we have been doing cargo runs from Coruscant to Ossus. There is a ton of equipment and furniture that needs to be transported to the sub-temple. We offered to do the runs for free, but Uncle Luke insisted that the Jedi Order should at least pay for the fuel. Once all the younglings are on Ossus the Grand Master needs to consider what to do with the teenagers and adults. He is contemplating sending the teens off on their trials until the mayhem settles down on Coruscant or until another home for the Jedi can be found.

.

.

**_Entry 118_ **

Ben, Zylie, Valla and I just returned from another cargo run. Shortly after we arrived on Coruscant, the Grand Master contacted Ben and me. Hanna Skywalker had just returned from a mission to find anti-slaving operatives and according to Uncle Luke, "She brought back some images from her body camera that I want you two to see."

Ack! I assume this is going to be another interrogation as to the identity of the Void Jumpers. I don't know why they always ask me. I'm not the only Void Jumper qualified Jedi. It's like they think I know more than I do...that I'm holding back something. I have no idea why they think I would lie to them. I don't know who is leading the attack on the slave masters.

.

.

**_Entry 119_ **

When we entered Luke's office Hanna, Luke and Mara were already there and sitting around a holoprojector located on a small conference table. Although I frequently talked to the Grand Master and Aunt Mara via comlink in the last month, this was the first time I had been face-to-face with them since I made my decision to leave the Jedi. I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving the order. When I noticed by Aunt and Uncle giving me a curious look I immediately clamped down on my emotions. Fortunately they didn't question me about my obviously guilty conscious.

Uncle Luke greeted us as we took a seat and then gave a brief synopsis of what we were dealing with.

"Because we are being accused of attacking slavers and keeping their slaves, I wanted to find this anti-slaving organization so we can reveal to the galaxy that we have no part in their escapades. I sent Hanna and Valin to the planet Torwroon. Our intelligence told us there was some chatter about slavery on that planet's holonet. On the way there we got a message from another source that on the rimworld planet of K'bron a relatively new criminal organization called the Guavian Death Gang was getting into the slaving business. Valin continued on to Torwroon and Hanna changed destinations midflight and traveled to K'bron. Her mission was to watch the organization from a distance and see if they came under attack by the mysterious Phrik armored Vong Void Jumpers."

"And they showed up?" I ventured a guess.

Hanna nodded. "It took almost a week of surveillance, but my efforts paid off." She motioned to the holoprojector. "It will be easier to explain after you see what I captured on my body camera."

Uncle Luke flicked a button and after a few seconds an image materialized above the base of the holoprojector. It was a little disorientating at first as the imaged bobbed erratically with Hanna's movements. Eventually she slowed and squatted down next to a large tree. Her body cam picked up a number of buildings in the distance with a bunch of rough looking men wearing black leather clothing and red armor walking around the area. Some of the men were wearing very unusual full-face helmets…so unusual that I first thought they might be droids. "This is a fairly new upstart gang," Hanna said. "Or at least they have just become known. These criminals are given cybernetic augmentation in exchange for their allegiance to the group. They are faster, stronger and more intelligent than normal humans due to their cybernetic implants and high frequency data streaming to their faceplates. They are a scary bunch. I was about to give up surveillance and move on when this happened." She pointed to the image as six large troop drop-ships entered the camera's field of view and swooped in over the criminals' compound.

The invading ships laid down a heavy stream of cover fire while Void Jumpers disgorged from the fuselage. The men landed with precision and moved to positions of cover and concealment while firing at various targets. The battle raged for fifteen or twenty minutes. At first they appeared equally matched, but inevitably the heavily armored Jump troopers gained the upper hand and beat the enemy into submission. The remaining Death Gang members withdrew and fled into a heavily wooded area behind the compound.

I thought they escaped. Thick armor is great when you are getting shot at, but the bulky suit makes it difficult chase after and round up prisoners in a forest. I thought their only option was to aerially bombard the area, but instead one of the troop ships landed and a number of animals exited. I remember my eyes widened in surprise to see a half dozen vornskrs running down the ramp followed by a Phrik armored soldier with a gold cape. He gestured toward the woods causing the animals to run at full pace into the tree line. The Guavians never saw what hit them. Despite the fact that Hanna was at least a hundred meters away, I could still make out the blood curling screams of men being devoured by the beasts.

I shuddered and had to turn away. I remember the bite Princess gave me so I can imagine what horror those men endured. Of course, they probably deserved it. Nice guys usually don't join an organization with the name 'Death Gang' in it.

My uncle Luke paused the projector. "You alright, Talon?"

I nodded. "I just get a little nervous whenever I see a vornskr."

My uncle barely suppressed a smirk. "That's understandable," he muttered under his breath before turning the holoprojector back on.

The battle raged on for a few more minutes, but eventually all went quiet and all I could see were Void Jumpers walking around, rounding up prisoners, and tending to the wounded.

The vornskrs eventually exited the forest covered in blood and burrs. They ran around the battlefield, sniffing the ground, when suddenly one looked up and gazed directly to where Hanna was hiding. He let out a howl and started barreling towards her position. The other Vornskrs saw what their buddy was doing and soon followed.

The bodycam image shook as Hanna stood and ignited her lightsaber. In the distance I could see the caped Void Jumper turn his attention to the animals. There was a loud whistle and then he called out, "Halt."

To my great surprise all of the animals screeched to a standstill probably twenty meters from Hanna. The caped Void Jumper bounded over to her position while continuing to yell at the snarling animals to stand down.

Once he was between the vornskrs and Hanna he stopped and stared at her, his face concealed by his helmet. "This is unexpected. What are you doing here?"

I could see Hanna lower her lightsaber slightly. "Just doing a little recon. What are you doing?"

The soldier turned slightly to make sure the animals remained behind them. "I'm taking out a deadly band of criminals." He returned his attention back to Hanna. "You really shouldn't be here. These animals don't like Force-users. I may not be able to control them."

I heard Hanna chuckle. "I am well aware of their propensity to bite Jedi."

To my great surprise, the man laughed and said, "Yeah, you would know."

I didn't look away from the projected image, but I could sense Ben turning to gaze at me. As far as I know I'm the only Jedi ever to be bitten by a Vornskr…and it sounded like this man was familiar with my story.

"You keep turning up wherever I am." The man chuckled under his helmet. "You're like my very own crazed stalker. Don't get me wrong, I am honored to have such a beautiful woman following me around the galaxy, but your infatuation with me is unhealthy and will only lead to heartache." The man's voice was modulated through his communication system, but I was still able to make out the teasing tone.

"Infatuation? In your dreams helmet head," Hanna said in a scathing voice. "Are all Void Jumpers as conceited as you?"

There was another deep booming chuckle. "Ouch. I see you have your mother's cutting wit along with her beauty."

"You know my mother?"

"Who doesn't know of her? The marriage of the Emperor's Hand and the hero of the rebellion was all over the holonet when it happened." His gaze went from Hanna to the surrounding area. "Where is your little Jedi boyfriend? Is he lurking about?"

"Don't worry about him," Hanna said curtly. "I need questions answered. Who are you?" She pointed to his belt with her lightsaber. "And why do you wear a lightsaber? You're not a Force-user."

He looked down at the saber, but didn't move his hand toward the weapon. "It was a gift from a friend."

"Who?"

He shook his armored head. "I don't answer questions from you. You have no authority here."

"This lightsaber gives me authority. The media is blaming the Jedi for these attacks and accusing us of keeping the slaves. The fact that you are wearing a lightsaber is probably the reason why. I need to bring you back to Coruscant so I can prove the Jedi are not involved in the slave trade."

The man laughed and swept his arms around. "Don't you see the army I have? I know the Skywalkers are strong in the Force, but I doubt the Grand Master himself would be foolish enough to stand up to an company of highly armed men with lightsaber-proof armor."

"It would be stupid of me," Hanna admitted. "if I actually thought I was in danger. We've met before and you didn't hurt me."

"That may be so, but it doesn't mean I'm going to let you haul me off to the Jedi Temple." He then turned and walked away.

I heard Hanna mutter a mild profanity under her breath before she chased after him. "Stop."

"Nope. We are not in GA space. You have zero authority. You can't even make a citizen's arrest because you are not a resident of this hellhole planet." He turned with arms outstretched. "Are you going to strike me down with your lightsaber? It probably wouldn't work and if it did you'd be killing me in cold blood. And I know how much Skywalkers hate killing needlessly."

I could see at the edge of the bodycam vid that the vornskrs were now running ahead of the man and heading toward another Void Jumper carrying what looked like a munitions bag.

"I don't need to use my weapons to stop you." She thrust out her free hand and Force shoved him.

The caped man flew forward and landed face first on the ground. This prompted the other Void Jumper to run to his aid. It looked like he was going to unholster his blaster, but the man on the ground raised a hand. "No weapons. The Jedi will deflect your rounds right back to you. Just come here and help me up."

"Tell me your name!" Hanna insisted and I am sure she was using the Force to bolster her request.

The man remained silent. Most likely he was spouting out his name under his helmet, but was clever enough not to activate his exterior speaker.

As the second Void Jumper approached I could see Hanna hold her lightsaber out defensively. She started to move forward, but then stuttered stepped to a halt. "Oh no," was all she said before the holovid became static.

My uncle paused the fuzzy video. "Tell everybody what happened, Hanna."

My cousin blushed a nice shade of red. "The other void jumper obviously had a ysalamiri in his bag. When I lost touch with the Force the guy in the cape pulled his blaster and stunned me. I tried to deflect the blast, but without the Force it's impossible."

"You shouldn't have tried to take him on," my aunt said in a frustrated voice. "He was right, it was you against an army."

I saw Hanna's jaw tighten. "Mom, I really didn't have many options once my cover was blown. I took a chance that I could at least learn his identity."

"Did you ever consider that if you did learn his identity he might have taken you captive to ensure his secret was kept?" My uncle shook his head. "Ysalamiri and vornskrs. I don't like this at all." He looked to Ben and me. "How many people do you know that deal in vornskrs and ysalamiri?"

Ben's jaw tightened. "Dad, I hope you are not insinuating that Talon Karrde is involved. You know he's not selling ysalamiri to anybody but the Jedi. Vornskrs, yes, but not ysalamiri."

"I hope their existence hasn't become known to the general public," Luke muttered. "Up till now only the Jedi and Karrde's crew had knowledge of the creatures."

"That's not true," I countered. "The mind witches used ysalamiri to capture me and Ben."

"That's right." Luke blew out a breath. "So, where did these Void Jumpers get theirs? Did they go to Myrkr or did they obtain them from a Jedi. We have some at the Temple, Jacen and Tenel Ka use them, Jag and Jaina may have some." He looked up at me. "I assume your father still has one."

I nodded. "Unless Nibbles died. I'm sure she's approaching the end her lifespan."

"Great, we have a least a half dozen possible sources for the animals." Luke pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a frustrated sigh before he pushed play on the holoprojector. The static remained for a few more seconds but eventually the bodycam rebooted and flickered into focus. The scene was eerily silent, most likely because the void jumpers in view were speaking to each other via their helmet comlinks. The man was now on his feet and was standing next to the Void Jumper with the munitions/ysalamiri bag. The caped leader took the bag from the man and then gestured to the vornskrs and then a ship in the distance.

One word punctuated the silence. "Come!" The Void Jumper motioned to the beasts as he walked to the ship with the animals following closely behind.

The leader stood there for a few minutes before two men wearing black flight suits and full-face helmets exited a troop ship and jogged to the caped man's side. I assume they didn't have audio feed to their helmets because their conversation was audible.

The leader pointed to Hanna. "Our scanners show her ship is about a half kilometer due east. Take her to her ship and remember to bring her lightsaber."

The two men nodded and moved forward. The bodycam jerked and shuttered as they picked her up. By the camera angle I assume they were standing on each side of Hanna with her arms propped over their shoulders.

"And be gentle with her," the Leader warned the men. "I don't need the Jedi hunting me down for hurting one of their own."

One of the men holding up Hanna made a snort of disgust. "Why do you fear Jedi? Force-users are no match for us." The words were barely understandable due to a thick rimworld accent, but I could tell the owner of the voice was insulted. "Do you not trust our abilities? We are trained warriors."

Their movement stopped as if they were awaiting an answer. After a few seconds the caped leader responded. "I have every confidence in your fighting capabilities, but I have other plans for the Jedi. I don't need them interfering with our mission at this time, so I need her safely returned to her ship so when she wakes up she can be on her way."

There was a long pause before the man with the accent answered. "Yes, Sir. It will be done." Hanna's bodycam image jerked as the two men carried her away from the battlefield and into the forest.

Luke toggled off the holoprojector. "I was hoping those two would converse with each other but they remained silent for the remainder of the trip. They got Hanna into her shuttle and left."

Uncle Luke gazed at the people in the room. "He knows our family. He has access to vornskrs and ysalamiri. He's a Void Jumper. He carries a lightsaber, but isn't a Force-user. It sounded like he personally witnessed the publicity surrounding my marriage, so that would make him at least middle aged." He looked to me. "Any clues as to his identity?"

"No." I shook my head, getting a little irritated with them questioning me just because I'm a Jump Trooper. "I never told any Void Jumper about ysalamiri and I am fairly certain vornskrs never came into any conversations." I gazed at the Grand Master. "I don't know who this man is, and I don't think finding him should be our priority."

My aunt folded her arms across her chest and stared at me. "He came out and said his men could easily take on the Jedi. You may not think they are dangerous, but the last person who thought he could take on the entire Jedi Order was Palpatine…and he succeeded."

"She's right, Talon," my uncle continued. "Despite his aversion to hurting Hanna, I believe these men pose a great danger to the Jedi."

I scoffed. "Maybe, but having a Chief-of-State in possession of a virus capable of Force-sterilizing a Jedi is also dangerous, but we still haven't fully left Coruscant," I countered. "I think Mokk Streke is the biggest threat we have."

It looked like Aunt Mara was going to argue with me further, but Luke put up a hand halting the conversation. "You're absolutely correct, we need to get the Jedi to safety. Now that the younglings are off planet, I am going to send the older teenagers on their trials. This will leave only a dozen or so cadre in the Temple. Jaden is working on a vaccine. Maybe we can get them vaccinated soon, so they can stay without worry." He looked over to his daughter. "Hanna, is that the clothing you were wearing in the video?"

She looked down at her outfit. "Yes, why?"

My uncle gestured to me. "Maybe Talon can touch it and pick up some postcognitive information about the men who captured you."

"I can try that," I said as I reached over to my cousin. To my surprise she slapped my hand away.

"No way. He can see the people and images surrounding the clothing, including me getting dressed. That's a little too voyeuristic for me."

I nodded in agreement. "She has a point. How about your lightsaber? That should be safe unless you do lightsaber training in the nude."

I was amused when Hanna had to think long and hard about my request. Eventually she unclipped it from her belt and handed it over to me. I grasped the weapon with both hands and closed my eyes in concentration. I could see Hanna, the Void Jumper Leader, but not the other men. I opened my eyes and shrugged. "Nothing. I suspect we are dealing with the Vong."

My uncle gave a curt nod. "Just as I suspected." Luke rose out of his seat. "We'll discuss this later." He pointed to Ben and me. "I know you two are busy with the cargo runs between here and Ossus. I'll let you get back to work."

As Ben and I left the Grand Master's office and were out of earshot, Ben whispered. "You haven't told my dad you are leaving the Jedi, have you?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't want to leave him in a bind while all of this was happening."

"But you are leaving?" Ben asked sadly.

"Yes." I nodded. "Soon."


	36. Chapter 36

**_Entry 120_ **

There is an old proverb that says, _'Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.'_ I told Uncle Luke he should worry about getting the Jedi off of Coruscant and he listened. He decided to send most of the masters and their apprentices off planet for their Jedi trials. There is a problem though. There are dozens of the teenage younglings that do not have Masters assigned to them. Due to the shortage, Ben and I were called into the Grand Master's office to discuss the situation.

"I would like you two to take on an apprentice," my uncle said to us as we sat across from his desk. "I know you two live on a ship and there are only two Stealth X's. So I would suggest that one apprentice stay on the ship with one Jedi and we'll base the other out of Ossus. The Jedi Order will assign Stealth X's to that Jedi and apprentice. You just need to decide who will go to Ossus or you can take turns living on the ship and on planet. Don't worry, we can provide housing for your wives or make other arrangements." He turned to me. "Apprentice Donatoi will finish up Void Jumper School in two weeks. I thought you could take him on as an apprentice." He pointed to Ben. "Apprentice Tri'falto wants to be a Sentinel. I thought you would be the perfect Master for her." He looked to both of us expectantly. "Well, what do you think? I believe both of you are ready to become a Jedi Master. I have been impressed with your work so far. I know you two will perform superbly as teacher and mentors to the younger generation."

My uncle smiled because in his mind he is bestowing upon us a great honor, but to me it just meant I had to confess my plan to leave the Jedi Order.

My uncle must have sensed my discomfort because he gazed at me inquisitively. "What's wrong, Talon? You don't like Donatoi?"

I blew out a frustrated breath. "It's not that. I just don't think I can take on an apprentice at this time."

The Grand Master's brow went up in surprise. "And why is that?"

I looked down to the floor taking some time to formulate my response. "I decided to resign from the Order and spend more time with my family on Indupar."

I heard my uncle take in a sharp breath. "This is sudden. If you don't want an apprentice we can assign you some other work, if that's the problem."

I shook my head. "I made up my mind weeks ago. I have been simply putting off telling you…but I'm forced to tell you now. I won't be around to mentor an apprentice."

My uncle slumped in his seat looking dumbfounded. "Are your parents ill? Is there a reason for wanting to be with your family now?"

I shook my head. "No, I just want to settle down and be around my family."

Uncle Luke stared at me for a long time. He knows I'm hiding something. He turned to his son, "Did you know about this?"

Ben looked exceedingly uncomfortable. "Yes."

"Uncle Luke, I'm not leaving right away. I want to make sure the transition between Coruscant and Ossus goes smoothly. I just can't take on an apprentice when I'm planning on leaving soon."

I blew out a slow, frustrated breath. "And what are you going to do on Indupar?"

I cleared my throat nervously. "I've been offered command of a company of Void Jumpers…or a position within the Indupar Knights."

Uncle Luke ran a hand over his face. "I understand that your parents are there…but the Jedi are also your family. All your cousins are Jedi, your aunt, me, your brother and his family." He shook his head in dismay. "I just don't understand why you would abandon us."

I lowered my eyes. "Jaina and Jacen left and you didn't see that as abandoning the Jedi."

The Grand Master groaned. "I understood Jaina and Jacen leaving to be with their spouses. What I never understood is why your father resigned and moved across the galaxy to train a stranger." He heaved a sigh. "I guess I can't compete with these royal houses. They can give a Jedi anything they desire."

I have never seen my uncle so despondent. "It's not the money. I'm going to Indupar to be with my family."

Luke gazed up at me. "That doesn't explain why your father left." He gave a forlorn shake of his head. "I should have never asked him to do the memory rub on Jacen. He left soon after that fiasco. He was heartbroken when he realized he rubbed out years of Jacen's memory needlessly. Poor Jacen doesn't remember getting married and fathering a child. I knew it bothered Mark, but I never expected it would cause him to leave his friends and family."

Ack! I so much want to tell my uncle the truth, to ease his guilt, but I can't. "My father doesn't hold any animosity about that situation."

My uncle didn't respond, but simply gave me a sad nod. "So when are you leaving?"

"Not right away. I don't want to leave you in a lurch. In a few weeks maybe."

Uncle Luke continued to stare at me. "Is there anything I can say to make you stay?"

I averted my eyes. I could feel my uncle's disappointment through the Force. "No."

He blew out a breath. "Alright. You're dismissed. Ben will stay behind to discuss the details of his apprentice."

I slowly stood and shuffled to the door. I glanced back and I could tell by the expression on Ben's face that he wanted me to explain the situation to his father, but I need to consult with Marcus first. "Sorry, Uncle Luke."

I left with a heavy heart and a knot in my stomach. As hard as it was telling the Grand Master, I knew it would be nothing compared to telling Aunt Mara.

.

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**_Entry 121_ **

Kriff! I wasn't back on the _Vazy Princess_ for more than ten minutes before my aunt showed up. She stormed up the loading ramp, her expression a cross between irritation and concern. "Talon Tantiss, you are not leaving here without telling me the real reason for your departure from the Jedi Order. I don't believe for a second that you are homesick for your parents. So out with it."

She leaned against the bulkhead, crossed her arms across her chest, and glowered at me while awaiting my answer. I tried to settle the fluttering in my stomach but my guilty conscious made that impossible. "It's the truth, Aunt Mara. You are a Jedi Master, you must sense I'm being honest when I say I want to go to Indupar to be with my family."

She glared at me for a prolonged pause before she shook her head. "It is part of the truth, but not all." She stared at me gravely. "You are hiding something…and what really hurts is you have my own son lying for you."

I averted my eyes. "I didn't ask him to lie to you."

"Did you tell him to not tell me the whole truth?"

Ack! I was stuck. If I said 'No' she would sense I was lying. If I said 'Yes' she wouldn't let up until I disclosed the real reason. At this point I was almost ready to throw aside caution and admit all, but I stalled. If it was safe to tell people, I am sure Marcus would have given me the all clear. I instead did something I have never dared do before. I was rude to my aunt. "Aunt Mara, please leave. This is my business, not yours."

Her eyes went wide, shocked at my insolence. "It's my business when a Jedi Knight is keeping secrets from his Master," she replied hotly.

"Former Master," I bit out. "And you have no moral high ground to stand on. Not when you have my entire family lying to the galaxy to protect Jacen. We are protecting a Sith."

Anger narrowed her eyes and stiffened her jaw. "He's not a Sith."

"Not anymore," I said sarcastically. "Not after rubbing out his memories…but did you ever consider that his memories didn't make him a Sith. He decided to go down that path. He could turn again and then how will you feel about all the lies?"

I could feel fury building up in my aunt, but it suddenly dissipated and was replaced by uneasiness. "You are starting an argument purposely." The tone of her voice was one of pure astonishment. "You are willing to start a fight with me just to change the subject. I can tell you don't hold any bitterness toward Jacen or what we did to protect him. You are initiating an argument to avoid answering my question."

' _Ah crap',_ I thought. I always knew she was smarter than me.

She pushed away from the bulkhead and moved toward me. "Talon you can tell me. Keeping secrets almost destroyed Jacen. Don't be the next Jedi to fall."

I almost laughed at her preposterous line of thinking. Why would she think I was hiding something bad from them? I was furiously trying to come up with an answer when I heard a deep growl coming from down the corridor. I turned and saw Princess' blood red eyes as she stalked towards us. I was relieved when Zylie came up behind her and yanked on the chain attached to her collar.

"Opps, sorry. I didn't know we had company. Hello Mara. What brings you here?"

Mara forced a smile on her face. "I'm here to find out what secrets your husband has been keeping from the Jedi." She kept that sham smile on her face, but she couldn't hide the irritation in her voice. "His secret must be damning if he is willing to walk away from the Jedi."

Princess must have perceived my aunt's anger as a threat because she started howling and gnashing her teeth. Zylie pulled on her leash, but the animal almost knocked her off balance. I then realized that, for the first time _EVER_ , Princess was being protective of _ME_.

Zylie jerked on the animal's leash and calmly spoke to the vornskr until she settled down. "Mara, is this about us leaving to live on Indupar, because, if it is, I'm to blame. I want to have a baby and rumor has it gravity compensators hamper the levels of pregnancy hormones. We could move back to the temple, but if we go to Indupar we'll not only have stability but Talon's parents can help us raise the child."

"What?" My aunt's face became less pinched as she turned to me. "Why wouldn't you tell us that?"

"Because he doesn't want everybody blaming me for his departure." Zylie interjected followed by a deep sigh. "Also, we didn't want to get everybody's hopes up…just in case we have trouble conceiving."

My jaw went slack. I never realized my wife was such an accomplished liar. I couldn't sense any duplicity on her part though the Force. I suppose knowing how to lie convincingly goes with the territory when you are the daughter of a smuggler.

My aunt turned to me. "Talon, you should have told Luke. His mind goes to the worst case scenarios when he doesn't have all the facts."

"Sorry," was all I dared say.

"You do know there is no need to leave the Jedi Order. Take a leave of absence."

I nodded. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask." Mara glanced down at Princess who was still baring her teeth. "I'll guess I'll go." She took a step down the ramp before she turned and addressed me. "Talon, I need to tell Luke."

I nodded. "Fine."

Once Aunt Mara was gone I turned to Zylie. "Wow, everything you said felt one-hundred percent truthful in the Force. You are good."

She smirked. "That's because I wasn't lying."

My jaw dropped. "What? You want a baby?"

I guess I didn't sound thrilled at the prospect because she looked disappointed with my response. "I thought you wanted a baby. Now that we are moving to Indupar I assumed we would start trying to conceive." She gazed at me sadly. "You didn't change your mind, did you?"

I smiled broadly. "No, I'm just surprised you changed your mind." I stepped forward to embrace my wife, but a growl from Princess stopped me. I looked down at the animal and frowned. "When she growled at my Aunt Mara I thought it was because she was warming up to me. I suppose she saw Mara as a potential threat to me, and warded her off because Princess wants to kill me herself."

Zylie laughed. "That must be it. Why don't I put her in the cargo area and you and me can work on expanding our family."

I grinned in anticipation. "I would love to."

.

.

**_Entry 122_ **

This week we helped Jaden move a majority of his medical supplies and the contents of Jysella and his office to Ossus. Our droid pilot, ID10T, landed the ship in the middle of the night during a horrendous storm. Jaden and I were on the flight deck as the rest of the crew slept and I have to admit, I am glad ID10T was piloting. The high winds had me white-knuckling the landing. As the ship powered down my brother and I moved to the exit and lowered the loading ramp. He took a couple steps down the ramp before he stopped and shielded his eyes from the blowing sand churned up by thirty meters-per-second winds. He frowned as the night sky lit up by an impressive display of chain lightning that literally made our hair stand on end. "Is it like this all the time?"

"No, not _all_ the time," I said with a caustic chuckle. "I know right now it appears inhospitable, but when the storm passes you'll see it's not so bad."

Unfortunately ' _Not so bad,_ ' is the best I can say about this world. I read that the planet was once beautiful, covered with oceans and continents abundant with lush flora. About four thousand years ago a nearby star went supernova, permanently altering the landscape and making it a desert wasteland. Over the millennia the planet slowly recovered. The location of the new Jedi temple was within a forested region with ample wildlife, but the electrical storms persisted as frequent reminders of the planet's devastating past. It wasn't great, but compared to Tatooine or Mustafar… _it's not so bad_.

I ushered my brother back into the ship. "We'll stay on the _Vazy Princess_ until this passes. They happen a few times a month and last about an hour or two. I was told you'll eventually get used to it."

He looked like he didn't believe me. "I don't know if I want Jessa to grow up here."

I sighed deeply. "It is safer here than Coruscant."

"It is safer on Indupar than here," he said softly.

"Jaden," I whispered. "You aren't thinking of leaving the Jedi Order also, are you? Uncle Luke will be devastated if the entire Tantiss family abandons him."

He scoffed. "If you were worried about Uncle Luke's feelings you would stay in the Order. Don't try to guilt me into doing something you wouldn't do."

I put my hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, if you want to come to Indupar, that is fine with me. The more the merrier. What would Jysella say about that?"

My brother shrugged. "I don't know." He sighed as he pushed the button to raise the ramp, then turned and walked down the corridor to the ship's galley. "I'm not serious about leaving. I just think Jessa might be more comfortable staying with her grandparents until we are settled in."

I nodded. "I can arrange that. I can bring her back with me after we unload. I'll go straight to Indupar and drop her off with Mom and Dad."

He looked down at the floor. "I'll have to talk to Jysella about that."

"Ossus is only temporary," I reassured my brother. "Uncle Luke is looking for a new place to headquarter the Jedi Order."

My brother made a face. "The problem with that is any new location will have to be isolated and rural, otherwise we will face the same situation we had on Coruscant. We can't have marginal Force users showing up uninvited and then staying in the local area when denied entry to the Academy. Most planets can't absorb all of the Jedi wannabes turned homeless refugees." He blew out a frustrated breath. "I bet we will end up on Yavin IV or Dagobah." He ran a hand through his hair before looking at me. "We grew up on a city world. I don't know if I can handle living in some festering armpit of the galaxy."

I nodded in understanding. "I will support any decision you make. I know Marcus would love to have you on Indupar."

His shoulders slumped. "Maybe when I perfect a vaccine for the virus we can return to Coruscant. I know Uncle Luke doesn't intend on abandoning the Temple. He's asked Tenel Ka to provide a security while the Jedi are gone."

My brow rose in surprise. This is the first time I heard of this. "Did she say _'Yes'?_ "

"Yeah, she's sending a company of men…surreptitiously. They have been showing up a half dozen at a time over the last couple weeks. They are disguised at common private security personnel, but since they are all look like male underwear models…I can tell they are Hapan."

I chuckled at that comment. "Just let me know what you decide, and I will do what I can to help."

.

.

**_Entry 123_ **

Once the storm cleared Jaden was not so gloomy about Ossus. We off loaded all of his equipment and he and his family decided to stay until a permanent facility for the Jedi could be found.

.

.

**_Entry 124_ **

We arrived back to Coruscant. We finished our cargo runs, but I needed to officially turn in my resignation. The morning of our arrival Ben, the ladies and I had breakfast in the ship galley. Everybody was quiet and gloomy. Ben was pushing his eggs around his plate while looking despondent. I don't think he's eaten more than a mouthful of food the entire time. Eventually he looked up to me. "Are you really going through with it?"

I nodded. "Yes, but you guys don't have to act like I'm going to die or something. We'll see each other."

"Yeah," Ben whispered. "Talon, you are closer to me than my own brothers. It's just hard. We grew up together." He motioned to our wives. "They grew up together. Hell, we've all lived together for the last two years on this ship." He looked down to his plate. "It's going to be weird having you gone and replaced with a teenage apprentice."

I chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't say replaced."

He blew out a frustrated breath. "You know what I mean. After you resign and we get to Indupar, you two will pack up and leave the ship. As a Jedi Master, I'll be gone with Apprentice Tri'falto on missions. Valla will probably be alone on the ship most of the time. This is going to be a big change."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Ben shook his head. "No, if you are going to spend time with your son, you need to leave."

"Yeah," I muttered as we ate the remainder of our meal in silence.

.

.

**_Entry 125_ **

The deed is done. I officially turned in my Jedi Robes, but I did keep my lightsaber. My uncle and aunt reiterated that I didn't need to resign, that taking a leave of absence was an option. I decided it was best to cut ties. I knew I would become an Indupar Knight and defend my son and his Kingdom. There was no reason to give the Grand Master any false hope.

We are now on our way to Indupar.

.

.

**_Entry 126_ **

When we exited hyperspace we noticed a transceiver message had been sent from my brother. When we played the transmission on screen my brother appeared nervous. "Is Marcus alright? I heard about the impending attack. Get back to me when you know something."

I looked over to Ben. "What attack?" I didn't wait for an answer. "ID10T, get us to the palace docking bay." I punched in my parent's transceiver number and was greatly relieved when I saw my mother's smiling face answering my call.

"Mom, is Indupar coming under attack? Who's threatening the kingdom?"

She shook her head. "It is just the Nagai posturing again. They threatened to avenge the death of their General and their fleet. It happens on a weekly basis since their failed invasion. The only difference now is the crystals being mined are the property of the Galactic Alliance and Mokk Streke is taking their threats very seriously. He wants to send a fleet to the area and establish a garrison on Ec Pand to protect his property. Marcus and your father thought that idea sounds more like an invading army than protection. The King is meeting with Mokk Streke on Coruscant to discuss what to do. Your dad went with him. They are trying to work out a compromise."

"Mom, do the seers believe the Nagai are going to attack?"

She shook her head. "They don't seem concerned about the Nagai. And even if they did attack, I'm sure our military would crush them. We think Streke is taking advantage of the ramblings of an enemy leader and using it as an excuse to occupy Ec Pand."

"It figures. He's always doing something sleazy, but I'm glad we're not facing another enemy attack." My shoulders relaxed as a relieved smile crossed my face. "We're here. Zylie and I will be clearing our stuff out of the ship. Did Marcus assign us quarters?"

My mother grinned. I can tell she is thrilled that I'm going to be here. "Yes, they are in the same wing as your father and my quarters. I will send some of the palace personnel to meet you. They have a small speeder that can carry cargo down the palace corridors."

I signed off and turned to Ben. "I see Streke wants to cause more trouble."

He shrugged. "Who can blame him? He bought all the crystals currently mined and signed a deal making the GA the only government that can purchase crystals excavated in the future. It is a big investment. If the Nagi are publicly threatening Ec Pand he will have to respond in some way…even if he doesn't believe the threat is real. The public is going to demand that he protect their investment."

"Yeah, I guess."

It may make sense, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.


	37. Chapter 37

**_Entry 127_ **

Ben and Valla left today. It was sad to see them go, but there is a bright side…Princess went with them! HA! I have been taking care of little Dak while my father and Marcus are on Coruscant. I think having the little vornskr cheers up Zylie who really misses her pet. Dak is getting his winter coat in since we are in the middle of a cold snap. He has beautiful reddish stripes. The veterinarian told me his type of markings are rare and are only seen in vornskrs that live in the grasslands of Myrkr. I miss Ben and Valla, but life without a snarling vornskr that hates my guts is really sweet.

.

.

**_Entry 128_ **

I was able to talk to my father over the holonet transceiver the next day.

"Dad, you know the Jedi are concerned about being on Coruscant because of the midichlorians killing virus. Is it safe for the King to be there?"

My father shrugged a muscular shoulder. "It'll be fine. The King and the Chief-of-State are meeting on neutral territory."

My brow rose. "Neutral territory? Where is there neutral territory on Coruscant?"

"Not on Coruscant." He pointed a finger up. "But above it aboard the _Errant Venture_."

I gave a short laugh. "Booster Terrik's Imperial-Class Star Destroyer? Okay, I have to admit, that is as close as you are going to get to neutral territory in the Galactic Alliance."

Booster was Corran Horn's father-in-law. He was also the grandfather of my brother's wife, Jysella. The man was a smuggler and friend to men like Han Solo and Talon Karrde. He also helped the Jedi on more than one occasion. He was an independent businessman that had a lot of friends throughout the galaxy. There was no way the Chief-of-State would try anything underhanded aboard Booster's ship.

"How are the talks going?" I asked my father.

My father rolled his eyes. "As well as can be expected. Streke is trying to act confident in the presence of a teenage world leader, but I can tell he's scared. I don't know why? Does he think King Marcus is going to do a lightsaber lobotomy on him?"

"You have to admit, Dad, what happened on Ec Pand was impressive. It struck me with awe."

Dad gave a curt nod of his head. "Maybe, but he is still posturing for a GA garrison on Ec Pand. He is very insistent, but Marcus said he thinks it's possible to come to a compromise with Streke. I'll believe it when I see it."

"Good luck with that. I look forward to seeing you and the King soon."

I signed off and began to wonder what a compromise would look like. Was Marcus considering allowing a GA army to occupy Ec Pand? I hope not. I don't trust the Chief-of-State at all.

.

.

**_Entry 129_ **

Zylie and I are settling in on Indupar. The quarters assigned to us are massive with three bedrooms, three baths, an office, Great room and a chef's kitchen. The master bathroom is impressive with a large spa tub surrounded by windows looking out to the mountain range in the distance. It is a beautiful view, but I never understood why somebody would want to take a bath in front of transparsteel windows. Zylie assured me they were one-way windows where we could look out but others can't see in. I believe her…but I am still self-conscious about standing butt naked in front of them.

.

.

**_Entry 130_ **

Zylie got word from Valla that she and Ben are on their way back to Indupar. It was just a short text message, which is odd. I tried to get a hold of them, but they must be in hyperspace. I should see about getting the _Vazy Princess_ ' communications system upgraded to an expensive hyperwave transceiver. Right now we have a subspace transceiver. The subspace communications can use hyperspace relays, but the ship cannot send or receive communications unless it is in real space. In other words, they send the message while in real space and that communication can travel through hyperspace and reach its destination almost immediately, but the _Vazy Princess_ won't receive my reply unless they are in real space. So, I guess I will find out what is going on when they get here.

.

.

**_Entry 131_ **

All right, things are getting strange. Ben contacted me and requested a face-to-face meeting. He is in orbit around Ec Pand. All he said was the Chief-of-State wanted the Grand Master to send Jedi to reconnoiter the situation concerning the impending Nagai attack. I borrowed my father's personal shuttle and, along with Zylie, traveled out to meet Ben.

.

.

**_Entry 132_ **

I have never been to Ec Pand. All I have ever seen of it was the video of the Nagai army's defeat on the planet. Its beauty surprised me. There are blue oceans surrounded by green continents with impressive mountain ranges cutting through the landscape. There were a few major cities, but the world is far more rural than Indupar itself. Ben sent me the coordinates where he had landed which were near the site of the Nagai attack.

I set down my shuttle next to the _Vazy Princess_ and was met on the tarmac by Ben and Valla. I gave my cousin and his wife a quick hug before Zylie and Valla went inside the freighter leaving Ben and me alone to talk. "What is going on? Are you part of the negotiations? Is Streke still trying to send a garrison here?"

Ben grimaced slightly. "There is going to be a garrison here, but not the military. I don't know how you are going to take this…but Marcus and the Chief-of-State worked out a compromise…the Jedi Order will set up operations here. They will perform their regular duties as Jedi Knights, but Streke believes our presence on Ec Pand will dissuade anybody from attacking the area. After all, if one Force-user…meaning the King…could take out the Nagai leadership, imagine what a hundred Jedi could do."

My jaw dropped. "What? Marcus came up with this plan?"

Ben made a _'who knows'_ palms up gesture. "I assume so."

I ran a hand through my hair nervously. "What about the Temple on Coruscant?"

Ben shrugged. "That is still being worked out, but it looks like it will remain part of the Jedi Order. There is talk about making it an administration building and part museum."

"When are the Jedi arriving?"

"As soon as possible. I was told Marcus had already constructed a facility he intended on using for his Indupar Knights. Supposedly he would keep his knights at his palace for now and give up the Ec Pand compound to the Jedi. I am here to check it out. I was told I would be met by the facility manager." He looked at his wrist chrono. "He should be here any minute."

Within five minutes a luxury speeder pulled up and a reddish-brown female Devaronian jumped out of the drivers seat and opened the rear door for us. "I am Orja Saor, your chauffeur." She said in Basic but with a thick Devaronian accent. I have seen male Devaronians before, but never a female in person. Devaronians lived in a matriarch society similar to the Hapans…and just like the Hapans, the men developed wanderlust while the women stay home to rule. Unlike the usually bald and horned males, the females of this species often have a full head of hair and only small vestigial bumps on their foreheads. Orja had dark green hair pulled back in two braids, red eyes and a wide smile revealing white blunted teeth. She was wearing a blue uniform reminiscent of the ones the palace guards wore. She gestured to the interior of the speeder. "Please jump in. I will bring you to the place for the Jedi."

Ben and I climbed inside and shut the door. Immediately, the speeder raced off in a direction opposite of the mining town.

"I thought the Jedi would be stationed near the mines," I said to the chauffeur.

She shook her head. "The town is not for living. The workers commute there. There are increased levels of particle matter in the air surrounding the mines. Workers wear breathing masks in that area. They live twenty kilometers away where the air is clean."

We drove about fifteen minutes around a forested area and a small hill before coming to a small town with shops, entertainment centers, hospital, college, townhouses and apartments and what looked like a huge conference center. The driver pointed to the impressively massive building. "There is the Jedi center."

I looked over to Ben. "It looks like King Marcus was planning on training an Army of Indupar Knights."

He nodded. "He was planning something big."

"That is phase one, completed last month," the driver stated. "A second building is due to be built next year."

We pulled up to the building we were met by a familiar face. It was Suojus Dentii, Commander of the Queen's guard and her royal consort. He was also _'officially'_ known as Marcus' stepfather.

Ben and I got out of the speeder and shook the man's hand. "Talon, Ben, it is good to have you here." He looked to the driver. "Stay with the vehicle." He put a hand on my shoulder and guided me toward the building's entrance. Once he was out of earshot of the driver he leaned in and whispered to me. "I am so happy that you decided to stay on Indupar. I have never seen Marcus so happy." He grinned. "I'm happy also. Ever since I was told of his paternity I have been an advocate of you being a part of his life."

"I know," I said with a smile. "Ema told me. I'm glad my son had a man like you in his life."

He gave me a brotherly pat on the shoulder as we arrived to the front entrance. He unlocked and pushed open the ornate double doors. "Welcome to the new home of the Jedi. I only hope it doesn't disappoint."

Ben and I stepped into the lobby and gasped at the building's grandeur. We were in an enormous circular entrance area with obsidian flooring and marble walls. Light flooded in through a domed transparasteel ceiling that was about three or four stories above us. Along the walls were statue busts of people I can only assume were previous leaders of Indupar. One of the statues caught my eye. "Is that Grand Master Skywalker?"

Commander Dentii looked over where I was pointing. "Ah yes, this is the Hall of Heroes. Most are warriors from Indupar's past, but one cannot forget the man who destroyed the first Death Star and restored the Jedi Order to its former glory."

I looked around. "Is there a statue of Marcus?"

"No, he didn't want to have one commissioned at the start of his reign. He said ' _statues are for old men and women with decades of service._ "

I laughed out loud while turning to Ben. "Don't let your dad hear he called him old."

For the next hour Commander Dentii gave us the grand tour. I can't lie…I was impressed. I think Dad must have had a hand in designing the place because it had everything that could be found in the Jedi Temple to include training facilities, an infirmary, cafeteria, dorm rooms, family quarters, library, classrooms, conference areas, meditation chapel, gym, surface vehicle garages and ship docking areas. The only difference was this place had much nicer and roomier dorm rooms and family quarters. You could tell money was no object when it came to its construction. I smiled as I realized Marcus probably built this place with my father and me in mind.

"Wow," Ben whispered. "If we have to leave Coruscant I couldn't think of a better place to land."

"Beats Dagobah," I chuckled.

"Yeah." He looked over to me. "If this ends up as a permanent location for the Jedi, that means the whole family will be back together…at least the Skywalker and Tantiss family. When I'm not on a mission or on the ship, that is."

"That would be nice." I smiled broadly. "This couldn't have worked out better if I planned it myself."


	38. Chapter 38

**_Entry 133_ **

Our mini-reunion with Ben and Valla was short-lived. Valla was assigned a shipping run to complete and Ben had to go back to pick up his apprentice and report to his father. I was told the Jedi would arrive within days. My mother was excited about the news. I was expecting my father and Marcus to return since a compromise had been found, but I guess there are other details to iron out.

.

.

**_Entry 134_ **

Damn, it is cold this week. To make matters worse, I realized that all of my heavy coats were either military or Jedi related. I didn't have a civilian parka, so I went over to my mother's quarters to see if I could borrow one of my father's coats until I could go shopping and get one for myself.

My mother greeted me at the door and hugged me enthusiastically. "I heard you and Zylie are trying to have a baby."

My brow rose in surprise. "Did Zylie tell you that?"

She shook her head. "No, Mara did. She called a week ago to see how your father and I were doing. She said Zylie told her." She looked at me expectantly. "It's true, isn't it?"

I couldn't hide my smile. "Yes," I gave my mom a cautionary expression as she gave out a shriek of happiness. "But don't go buying nursery furniture just yet. We just started trying. It may be weeks or months before we are successful."

"I'm sure I will be spoiling a new grandchild by the end of the year." She gestured for me to come inside as she closed the door behind me. My stomach rumbled at the mouthwatering aroma of my mother's cooking.

"What are you making?" I asked as I followed her to the kitchen.

"Stew, you can have some if you like." She turned away from me to stir a pot on the stove. It was then that I noticed a small tattoo peaking out from under her sleeveless tunic. Marcus had told me my mother got a tattoo with the initials of all of her kids and grandchildren on it, but I have never seen it myself. "Mom, can I see your tattoo."

"You haven't seen it?" She reached back and pulled the fabric to the side exposing the body art on her shoulder blade. "I don't know what possessed me to get it, but it seemed like a good idea at the time."

I stared at the tattoo slack jawed. It was a drawing of a rising sun with a winding road leading to the horizon. It was the same symbol seen on the emblem holding the cape onto the lightsaber carrying Void Jumper. "Mom, what's that symbol?"

She let go of her tunic and turned to face me. "It is the symbol of the National Religion, The Church of the Bright Path. I thought it would be good luck."

I shook my head in confusion. "No, I've seen the symbol of the church. It is a starburst pattern." I pointed to the tattoo. "Not this."

She continued to stir the stew while talking to me. "The starburst pattern is for leaders of the church and clergy. It is forbidden for anybody outside the church leadership to wear the starburst. Even Marcus couldn't wear the starburst symbol until he turned thirteen and officially became the leader of the church. Followers wear the rising sun and lighted path symbol. It's a bit metaphoric. The church is represented by the light, hence the starburst pattern. The light exposes the path to rightness. So followers wear the symbol of the enlightened path."

I guess she could see tell I was in shock. "What is going on? Why that face?"

"I've seen that symbol before. It was worn by a group of Void Jumpers attacking various slaving operations." I took in a deep breath and blew it out as my brain tried to decipher this mystery. I wish Ben was with me…he is much better at figuring out stuff.

My mother gave me a confused shrug of her shoulder. "I don't know anything about that. Somebody is attacking slavers? Do you think believers…people who serve the Bright Path are acting as vigilantes?"

My mother's words brought back a memory…something one of the slavers dumped on Dathomir commented about his attackers. He said one of the ship pilots was heard saying they ' _will swerve to the right path'_. The pilots had heavy rimworld accents…so now I am wondering if they actually said they _'will serve the Bright Path'._ My father had worried about the zealotry of the Bright Path followers…maybe they have taken to right the wrongs of the galaxy by force. But…would a simple sub-cult of the state religion have the credits and resources to acquire Void Jumper armor or military jump ships? That is really doubtful.

"Mom, does Indupar have Void Jumpers? Dad once told me they were forming a unit but they weren't trained yet. Does Indupar have an active Void Jumper company?"

My mother thought about it. "I know Indupar has trained Void Jumpers, but I believe your father said it was a battalion."

"A battalion! Mom that's around three hundred men."

She nodded. "He did make a large purchase of Void Jumper Suits for the king."

I was shocked by the news. I pulled out a seat from the dining area and sat down heavily.

"What's wrong Talon?"

I looked up to her. "Mom, for months the Jedi have been running around the galaxy looking for the leader of a Void Jumper unit attacking various slaving operations. The leader carried a lightsaber and wore a cape held together at the shoulder by a emblem with the Bright Path image on it." I paused as I tried to wrap my head around the situation. "The media has been accusing the Jedi of snatching slaves from their masters and keeping them for themselves. We've been trying to figure out who has been attacking the slavers so we could clear our name." I shook my head in confusion. "Is the Indupar government involved? Is Marcus or Dad involved in this mess?"

"Talon, I don't know what you are talking about, but I do know your father wouldn't participate in anything unsavory."

I could tell my mother believed what she was saying, but that might just mean she wasn't privy to any damning information. "Mom, does dad own an amber lightsaber."

Her expression filled with worry. "Why do you ask?"

"Because the leader of the anti-slavery operation carried an amber lightsaber, along with wearing an emblem of the Bright Path. Also an assassination attempt occurred against the Chief-of-State and that person had an amber lightsaber." I paused before asking her again. "Mom, does dad have an amber lightsaber?"

She looked exceedingly uncomfortable as she answered. "He does, all of the Indupar Knights have amber lightsabers. Senior Military Officers in the King's Armed Forces also wear them as a symbol of rank…even if they're non-Force-users. The Amber color represents the rising sun lighting up the Bright Path.

I felt like I was going to vomit. What was my father involved in? "Mom, something is going on involving Void Jumpers attacking slavers, people with lightsabers attacking the Hapan Royals, two attempts on the Chief-of-State's life by lightsaber wielding attackers and then there is the mystery of the mimetic suited man."

When I said that last sentence I felt a spike of panic from my mother.

I looked up to her wide-eyed. "Mom, does dad have a Mimetic suit?"

"Ummmm," she said softly. "Is that the suit that can make you invisible?"

"Yes," I said as I slowly stood.

My mom didn't answer but glanced toward her bedroom.

"Shavit!" I swore under my breath as I moved to my mother's bedroom.

She followed on my heels. "Talon, I don't think your father would like you digging around in our closet."

I turned to her, anger seeping into my voice as I stood in her doorway. "I bet he wouldn't. He's been lying to me for months! I've talked to him about the Vong Void Jumpers and the man in the mimetic suit and he pretended to know nothing or he gets mad at me for asking questions…accusing me for spying for Uncle Luke. He knew I wasn't spying for the Grand Master; he was getting angry to shut me up, to get me to stop asking questions. Now I wonder what else he knows and why is he doing the things he's doing?" I pulled in a deep breath as I tried to control my breathing. "The Jedi believe the man in the mimetic suit is a Sith. That he is controlling the Chief-of-State." I lost my voice for a moment as I tried to regain control of my emotions. "Mom, what is dad up to…is he working for…"

I couldn't finish my sentence before my mom answered. "A Sith? You want to know if your father is working for a Sith or is a Sith?" She shook her head. "Talon, you know your father better than that."

"No, that's not what I was going to ask. I want to know if he is working for Marcus or the Seers?"

My mother looked down at the floor. "Your father is a good man. He would never do anything to hurt anybody."

I let out a caustic laugh, "Mom, if I remember correctly, when he contacted you all yellow-Sithy-eyed on his way to Myrkr you were crying and all worried about what he was going to do. You were afraid he was going to kill Jacen."

"That's only because Jacen tried to kill Mara. Jacen was dangerous." She crossed her arms and glowered at me. "Do you also remember when he was attacked by that Sith sphere thing in Imperial Space and was confused and waving a lightsaber? It was me who went inside his hospital room to calm him down. I don't fear your father, and neither should you."

"I don't fear my father, but Dad is up to something…something that he has been hiding from his family."

Her eyes narrowed either in disappointment or anger. "I am sure whatever you think is going on is not what it seems."

I walked over to my parent's closet. "There is one way to find out. I just have to use my psychometric powers and I will know the truth."

I gave a yelp when my mother grabbed my earlobe and dragged me away from her closet. "You are not going to invade our privacy, Talon. If you have questions for your father, you ask him yourself."

"Owww," I allowed my mother to pull me away from the closet so she didn't rip my ear off. I was absolutely shocked at her response. During all the time I was growing up she never once laid a hand on me. She was always so mellow and loving. There is obviously something in the closet she doesn't want me to see. "Okay, just let go of my ear." When she released me I scowled as my hand went up to massage my throbbing earlobe. "Why are you protecting him? What has he done?"

My mother let out a scathing laugh. "I know nothing about slaves or the mimetic man you referred to." She pointed to the closet. "I am safeguarding my privacy." She turned a nice shade of red as she paused in thought. "Did you know mimetic suits are water resistant?"

My brow rose in confusion. "Yes, I am aware. What does that have to do with anything?"

My mother folded her arms across her chest as she stared at the floor. "Your father thought it would be funny to put the suit on and scare me while I was in the shower."

I closed my eyes trying not to picture my what my mother was describing.

"See," she said while pointing an accusing finger at me. "You don't even want to think about that and I know you definitely don't want to use your postcog powers to actually see it!"

"Ugh, mom, that's disturbing." I motioned to her closet. "Is there anything in there that I can touch without having to endure therapy for the rest of my life?"

She tried to suppress a smile. "Doubtful."

I shuddered as I leaned against the wall. "So you can confirm he does have a mimetic suit and an amber lightsaber. This can't be a coincidence. He has to be involved in the anti-slaving operations and/or wanting the Jedi off of Coruscant."

She leaned against the wall next to me and looked away. "I do know your dad needs to do something on Coruscant and he doesn't want the Jedi involved."

"What is he going to do?" I asked my mother pointedly.

"I don't know Talon. I only know as much as I do because I overheard your dad talking to Tobar the High Seer." She turned and put a hand on my shoulder. "Talon, your dad's a good man. He wouldn't do anything bad."

I nodded slowly, hoping she was right. "I'm going to take Dad's shuttle to Coruscant. I need to find out what's going on."

I wasn't sure what my dad was up to, but I am determined to find out.

.

.

 

**_Entry 135_ **

I stewed all the way from Indupar to Coruscant. I was mad with my father for keeping secrets from me and I was irritated with my mother for helping my dad do so. But I am really, really pissed at the seers because I know they are probably responsible for any scheming going on. I just hope they haven't manipulated my son into doing anything criminal or immoral. He's only a boy. It's not hard to fool an innocent child. They probably got him conned into doing their bidding. I don't trust those soothsaying, manipulative, camelid-face jerks.

As I dropped out of hyperspace I observed a Lancer-Class Frigate with the symbol of the Indupar crown worlds painted on its hull. I was expecting to see the King's flagship, a newly renovated Vengeance-class dreadnought, but my scanners didn't pick up any ship of that size in orbit above Coruscant. I guess Marcus thought arriving in a two-hundred-and-fifty meter ship would be less frightening to the Chief-of-State than showing up in a nineteen-kilometer warship.

I flew toward the ship while hailing with my transceiver. "Indupar Lancer-Class Frigate this is Talon Tantiss, son of Master Mark Tantiss—Commander of the King's security, requesting permission to land my shuttle in your ventral docking bay."

There was a long pause before I got an answer. "Uhh…no. Permission denied."

I found their response unusual. Not necessarily the docking denial, but the lack of questions. There was no, " _State your business"_ or " _Is Master Tantiss expecting you_?"

"Is my father there? Is Master Tantiss aboard? I need to talk to him." I reached out with the Force but couldn't find my father. I did notice there were areas of the ship that appeared to be Force voids. There were ysalamiri onboard, of that I was sure. "Can I speak to your King?"

"King Marcus is currently meeting with the Chief-of-State onboard the Star Destroyer _Errant Venture_. He is unavailable at this time."

"Then let me land and I will wait to talk to him or my father."

"Permission to land is denied," came the voice over my radio.

"Well I am going to dock, no matter what you say." I positioned my shuttle so I could easily swoop into the bay.

"Jedi Tantiss, our shields are up. The impact will damage your ship…possibly disable your life support."

"Then put the shields down," I told the unknown individual.

"I'm not authorized to do so."

"Well get authorization because I am coming in."

I lit up my sub-light engines and headed toward the shielded docking bay. I knew my dad wouldn't let me smack against the shielding. As I quickly approached the bay I could still see the shimmer of the shield. When I was about two hundred meters away I started to wonder if my father was on board. He should have dropped the shields by now. I powered down to docking speed, but the shields remained. It wasn't until I was less than ten meters from the ship that the shields dropped and I entered the ship's docking area.

Over the radio a different, but vaguely familiar disembodied voice said, "You are one dumb kriffnut."

I ignored the insult, powered down the ship, lowered the boarding ramp and rushed out only to be greeted by a platoon of Void Jumpers, fully armored, and pointing blasters in my direction.

"Whoa," I said while raising my hands. "No need to shoot." I couldn't feel the Force, so I knew there were ysalamiri nearby…making my lightsaber nearly useless against these men. Not that I wanted to fight Indupar soldiers. I noticed two of the jumpers carried lightsabers. I turned to address them. "I assume you two are in charge here. Where's Master Tantiss?"

The lightsaber carrying soldiers looked toward each other and then shook their heads. The one on the left opened up his face shield and spoke to the other. "I always knew you kriff'n spooks were crazy."

The other jumper raised his face shield revealing my father's face. "Talon, why are you here?"

I had to laugh at the absurdity of the question. "Why am I here? Why are you here?"

My father attempted a shrug in his armor, but he couldn't quite pull it off. "I'm here with the King to do negotiations regarding the protection of Ec Pand."

I waved a hand dismissively. "No, no…no more half-truths. I know about the mimetic suit in your room and the amber lightsabers. I want to know why you are really here. How are you involved in the anti-slavers and the Vong Void Jumpers?" I paused for a breath. "And are you the mimetic man seen with the Chief-of-State on Corellia?"

My father blew out a breath as he lowered his head. "Talon, you shouldn't be here."

"I want to know what's going on?" I insisted.

"I can't believe your kid hasn't figured it out yet," the other man said with a caustic chuckle.

After a moment I recognized him. "Deke? Deke Tavik?"

"Finally the kriffnut recognizes me." Deke turned to the platoon of blaster carrying Void Jumpers and dismissed them with a flick of his gauntlet.

My dad then motioned for me to follow him. "Walk with me." He gave me a sideways glance. "Talon, we don't want Jedi involved in case things go sideways."

"I'm not a Jedi. I quit, remember." I said pointedly as I fell into step next to him. "Mom says she heard you talking to the head Seer about wanting the Jedi off Coruscant. Why? What do you plan on doing?"

As I followed my father into a cargo area, I slowed when I smelled a familiar musty scent. As we turned a corner I saw six cages containing snarling vornskrs. When they saw me and my father they practically went mad in rage."

I pointed to my father. "You're responsible for the attacks on the slavers, aren't you?"

"Not me," Dad said as he threw a thumb in the direction of the vornskrs. "These monsters hate me just as much as Princess hates you."

"I have to take credit for that," Deke commented as he walked behind my father and me. "Hanna should have told you the man she attacked wasn't a Force user. So how could it be your dad?" I bristled slightly at his sarcastic tone. "Gods, your kid has the intellect of a box of rocks."

"Knock it off Deke. If I remember correctly you didn't know the whole story until recently."

"Yeah," he grudgingly admitted.

As we put distance between the docking bay and us I felt the Force slowly return. Obviously the ysalamiri were housed in one of the bay storage units.

"I keep telling your cousin Hanna to stop following me, but she is a tenacious, albeit beautiful, little stalker," Deke said as he put his hand to his armored chest plate and gave me a wink. "I can't blame her, though. I'm drop-dead gorgeous."

My dad made a grunting sound before he smacked Deke's helmet with the backhand of his gauntlet. "Don't flatter yourself."

I was becoming infuriated with this conversation. "Will somebody tell me what exactly you two are doing and why? And how does Marcus and the Chief-of-State fit into this?"

"I guess there is no reason not to tell you at this point," my father said as we entered the flight deck. "There are Sith on Coruscant…a lot of them. There is also an abundance of Force-adept criminals. They need to go. We are going to Force sterilize them with the virus, but I can't start the mission until Luke and his Jedi are gone."

"Sith?" I looked at my father in disbelief. "The Sith are no more. Lumiya was the last of their kind."

"No, I wish that were true, but it's not."

I grabbed my father's armored shoulder and pulled him around to face me. "Dad, if there were Sith on Coruscant why not just tell the Jedi and let them handle it?"

My father heaved a sigh. "Luke thinks all Sith are redeemable. If he tries to capture them without the virus there will be a lot of blood shed. We are going to neutralize them first, take away their Force abilities, and then the Coruscanti police will arrest them. I doubt they can wield a saber with any accuracy without the Force."

"If it is that easy then why the lightsaber resistant armor? Why the vornskrs? And why not just let Uncle Luke know? It sounds like you plan on capturing them anyway, Luke wouldn't have a problem with that, even if you used the virus."

My dad reached up and removed his helmet. "Because we don't know how well the virus will work on these people. They have lived for over five thousand years in isolation. They may be immune…and if they are…well then we have the reason why I don't want to involve the Jedi. I will send my Vong warriors with vornskrs planetside where they will track down every Sith and kill them." He gave a caustic chuckle. "I am fairly sure Luke would not go along with that plan. He made it quite clear that he doesn't like genocide."

I put up a hand in a halting motion. "Wait, how many Sith are on Coruscant?"

"About fifty."

I scoffed. "Dad, that is far from genocide."

He nodded solemnly. "True, but once we are done here we are going to their home world of Kesh. There are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Sith on that planet. They recently escaped the confines of their world and have been pirating ships in the outer rim. We are going to bombard their planet with the virus, destroy their ships and strand them on their planet for another 5000 years."

My head was beginning to hurt from thinking too much. "Kesh? I've never heard of it. How do you know about this planet and the Sith?"

"The Seers knew the Sith were here, but they didn't know where they were coming from, but I do." My father said with a tight smile. "You remember when I killed that Sith Meditation Sphere?"

"Yeah," I said slowly. "The one where you claimed you didn't get any knowledge from despite the fact you suddenly gained the ability to freeze blaster bolts."

"Yes, that one," dad said a little sheepishly. "Okay, I admit, I lied." He tapped the side of his head with the index finger of his metal gauntlet. "I gained a lot of information from the sphere along with the location of the Sith planet." My dad made dismissive wave of his hand. "But, forget about Kesh for a minute. Our major concern is Coruscant. The Sith were coming to the planet and using their Force skills to move into political positions, the media, and other key governmental offices. They wanted to take over the government, but they knew they couldn't hide forever as long as the Jedi were on Coruscant. Therefore they have been using their sources in the media to make false and damning accusations against the Jedi. At the same time, some of the Sith have recruited and organized weak Force adepts and encouraged them to commit crimes using their Force abilities. They hoped to get the public to turn on the Jedi Order. They were somewhat successful."

I put up a hand to make my dad pause for a moment while I tried to process the information. "How does Mokk Streke fit into this? Are you the mimetic suited man?"

"I am the man you saw in the Corsec video. As for the Chief-of-State, we need him for various reasons to include using Galactic Alliance funds to create the virus and to authorize the use of the weathernet to disperse the virus on Coruscant."

"So, he knows he's working with you?"

My dad shook his head. "No, I always wore the mimetic suit and disguised my voice when I dealt with him. He thinks he is dealing with members of the Order of the Canted Circle," he said with a chuckle.

"The Canted Circle? Coruscanti's oldest and most influential secret society?" I muttered. "Why would he believe that?"

"Because that's what he's been told since he was a low level, rimworld, planetary governor." My dad grinned, "Who else could have helped him rise to the level of power he's achieved. It had to be a secret society because he doesn't know about the H'Drachi seers."

"Damn it, I knew the seers were involved."

"Of course they are involved. They saw the danger and they want it resolved, but it is hard to prevent a coup if you don't have the cooperation from the Chief-of-State."

"Does Streke know why he is doing what he's doing?"

"He does now. It is hard to hide the truth when a Sith tried to kill him in his own quarters." My dad snickered under his breath. "Lucky for him I was there to save his rear."

"You're the one who blanked out the cameras and snuck into his apartment?" I shook my head in disbelief. "He knows what you look like. If you saved him he would have recognized you."

My dad shrugged. "As I said earlier, I always wear a mimetic suit when around him. I blanked out the cameras as an added precaution. The seers knew the general time frame but not the exact time and date of the attack. That's why I kept going back day after day. I brought a ysalamiri. This gave me the advantage. I could use the Force, but the assassin couldn't."

My father walked over to a crew member wearing the uniform of an Indupar Naval Officer. "Has Chief-of-State contacted the Grand Master yet?"

"Yes Sir. All remaining Jedi on Coruscant were ordered to Ec Pand to stop a second Nagi invasion."

"What?" I looked to my father. "I thought there wasn't going to be an invasion. Mom said the seers weren't concerned."

"There isn't going to be an invasion, but we want to get the Jedi off planet as soon as possible and have them gone for a long while. Once the Jedi are gone the Chief-of-State will officially and very publicly sign a treaty with the Indupar Crown Worlds to base the Jedi out of Ec Pand to defend the crystals just in case a problem arises. It will make sense to the Galaxy. Indupar refuses to have an occupying army on the planet or a GA Fleet in their space to protect the crystals…but it is well known that the ruler of Indupar trusts the Jedi. The Jedi protected his mother while she was pregnant with him and he has a former Jedi as an advisor. Stationing the Jedi Temple there will appear as a reasonable compromise. This way Streke can't be criticized for running the Jedi off Coruscant because they are desperately needed on Ec Pand. The crystals must be protected because any military force in possession of the crystals would become almost invincible."

He turned to his communications officer. "Any word on the status of the Jedi?"

The man put a hand up to his earphones. "The message was delivered and acknowledged."

"As soon as they are gone the operation will begin," my dad said matter-of-factly. "If I sense any Jedi remaining…then I may have to call Luke and tell him something that will encourage the remaining Jedi to leave."

"Tell him something…you mean lie to him."

My dad blew out a frustrated breath. "I've lied for Luke," he whispered. "Why is only okay to lie when Luke wants me to?"

"Sir," the ship's captain called out. "We have StealthXs scrambling from the Temple. It appears to be thirty…that is the amount of Jedi believed to remain on Coruscant."

My dad slapped a gauntlet-clad hand on my shoulder. "Help me reach out and try to sense if any remaining Jedi are on planet."

"Sure." I closed my eyes and concentrated. I extended my Force senses and felt weak Force adepts, but no Jedi. "People who are minimal Force users are probably are not going to be happy about this."

My dad nodded. "Probably not, but it's for the best."

I wasn't sure if I believed my father, but I also knew I was in no position to stop him. "Does Marcus know about you and the seer's plan?"

My father made a face of incredulity. "King Marcus is a Seer and a postcog. He can perceive the past, present and future. Of course he knows."


	39. Chapter 39

**_Entry 136_ **

My father sent a text message to Mokk Streke stating it was clear to release the virus on Coruscant. Of course he wasn't using his own name but his _'secret society'_ alias: Muninar Cerar. I had to roll my eyes. "That's Mando'a for _Big Mountain_ , isn't it? You really went with that for an undercover name? Why would you use an covert name that hints to your identity?"

My dad blushed slightly. "That is one of your mother's nicknames for me."

I shuddered as I remember the Mandalorian armor I had seen in his closet. "Ugh, enough said. At least it is better moniker than Cuddle Buddy." I walked across the flight deck and gazed out the viewport to the city-world below. "How long will it take?"

My father joined me. "Midichlorians die minutes after exposure. The scientists involved believe it would take an hour for the viral spores to saturate the upper levels of Coruscant. It may take longer for it to seep down to the lower areas…but I doubt Sith are down there sitting in squalor."

"How long will the virus be active?"

"A week or two. Jaden is working on a vaccine. When the Jedi want to return they should get immunized."

I turned to my father. "How will the Coruscanti police identify the Sith?"

"The seers knew the identity of some, but not all." He looked slightly uncomfortable. "Marcus funded a search that's been ongoing for the last two years. We hired slicers to weed out any possible Sith. They investigated every Jedi hating reporter, politician and media spokesperson. When a Sith was suspected someone would try to get near the person with a ysalamiri. If the person is a Force user you will always get a startled response. We think we identified most of the Sith. That information was recently passed on to the Chief-of-State."

"Okay," I said with a weary nod. "And once you have them…what charges are you going to hold them on? Unless they have done something wrong I don't think there is a law against following a Sith philosophy."

My father smirked. "They are on Coruscant illegally. If they can't provide proof of citizenship or a proper visa they can be deported…right back to their home planet."

"Mark," Deke called to my father as he held an earphone up to his ear. "Streke is sending two Coruscanti law enforcement officers to arrests the first Sith. They are accompanied by a couple of our Vong Void Jumpers," He put his hands up and made a 'quotation' gesture. "Who Streke believes are Private security personnel paid by the Order of the Canted Circle." He chuckled as he muttered under his breath, "Streke's such an idiot."

He walked over to a holovid transceiver and pushed a few buttons. "I'm going to try to patch into the helmet cam of Shik'etii-git…Hitsk'etii-got…oh kriff it, those Vong names are tongue twisters. I am patching in the feed from one of our Vong."

There was static for a short moment before the shaky image of people rushing into an office came into focus. "Coruscanti Police," I heard one of the humans yell out. "Stay where you are and keep your hands where we can see them."

All the office workers nervously raised their hands with the exception of one man. He scowled at the police as he ignited a red bladed lightsaber and ran toward the door. Both the Vong and security personnel started to fire stun bolts at the Sith. He turned and attempted to deflect the blaster fire, but only managed to rebound two before a third hit him in the leg. A surprised expression crossed his face as he crashed to the ground.

"Ha!" Deke guffawed. "Did you see the look on that dark-spook's face." He turned and started pantomiming a person with a lightsaber, "Hey, who turned off the Force?" He broke out in loud bouts of laughter.

My dad chuckled. "You love this, don't you Deke."

"You know I do." The man grinned widely. "I should be down there, seeing that I have more confirmed Sith kills than anybody else in the galaxy."

I looked to Deke and then to my father. "What?"

My dad threw a thumb in Deke's direction. "We found out the people who attacked the Hapan Royals were a group of Sith. They appear to put the same value on beauty as the Hapans. That's why they were all attractive."

Deke pointed to me. "The last time we talked you theorized the people who attacked the Hapans might be doing a dry run for an attack on Coruscant…and you were right."

I shouldn't be surprised at that revelation; after all, Ben thought the attackers were Force users. I turned to my father. "Are you sure?"

"We compared the DNA from the Hapan attackers and the man I killed in Streke's office and they have similar DNA markers suggesting they are from the same planet."

"Oh," was the only response I could come up with. My brain was a bit overwhelmed at this point.

We continued watching to bodycam vids from various arrests. They appeared to follow the same pattern. The Sith is accosted, he resists and attempts to escape, only to be stunned, cuffed and hauled off to Mokk Streke's new Force-cage wing of the local penitentiary.

I frowned as I thought about all the innocent Force-users that suddenly lost their powers. "You know, you could have just went in with ysalamiri. You didn't have to use the virus to capture these guys."

My dad nodded. "True, but this is a trial run for attacking their planet. If it works on them, it should work on the Sith on Kesh. If not," he hesitated for a moment. "Well, if the virus didn't work then other measures would have to be found to deal with Kesh." He turned to Deke. "Keep close observation, they may need more Vong reinforcements. Those Darksiders might not have the Force, but those sabers can do damage to an unarmored security officer."

"You got it."

"Then off to Kesh?" I asked.

My father shook his head. "No need. The King's flagship, _Absolution_ , is on the way to the planet with about a thousand aerial dispersion canisters of the virus.

"Won't the Sith try to escape the planet when a Vengeance-class dreadnought shows up in their orbit?"

A lopsided grin graced my dad's face. "They would, if they could see it."

My brow rose. "You put a cloaking device on a dreadnought?"

"Not me personally," my father said with a snicker. "But yes, it is outfitted with a cloaking device." My dad moved from the holoprojector to the bridge viewing port. "Hopefully the information I gained from the Sith Meditation sphere is correct and we have the exact location of the Sith homeworld."

**.**

**.**

 

**_Entry 137_ **

The rest of the day I watched video feed from the various Vong Void Jumpers. I was astonished by the identity of those arrested. Two popular reporters, five mayors, twenty police officers, nine financial analysts, two members of the military and an assortment of others. The arrests did not escape public notice. Mokk Streke held a press conference stating the apprehensions were part of a worldwide sting operation. The people arrested were members of a terrorist organization whose goal was to overthrow the government. He also took the time to announce the agreement between Indupar and the Galactic Alliance to station Jedi Knights on Ec Pand to ensure the safety the cloaking device crystals. The Coruscant temple would be repurposed as a Jedi Museum and administration building, but no training would be conducted at that location (meaning Jedi wannabes need not travel to Coruscant). There was no mention of the release of the virus and I doubt there ever will. I am sure the public would be outraged to know a biological agent was dispersed through the WeatherNet.

After the excitement of the arrests died down I had time to think about what had transpired. Despite my best efforts to understand all that has happened, I still remain in a daze of confusion. I would ask my father questions in an effort to understand. He would answer to the best of his ability while Deke made fun of my inability to figure out this extremely complex plot much earlier.

The three of us were sitting in a private conference room off of the flight deck. They had taken off their armor in exchange for loose tunics and trousers and were now sipping on caf.

"In that mimetic suit vid you told Streke that your Master spent a lot of time and money getting him to the position of Chief-of-State," I said to my father. "Streke's climb up the political ladder took at least a decade. You were a Jedi a decade ago."

"True," my father said evenly. "I am not the only person to interact with the Chief-of-State. The Seers had a number of Indupar undercover officers that would act as intermediaries with Streke over the past decade. They manipulated situations so Streke was promoted to high office. It wasn't that difficult. Every politician has a secret they don't want revealed and the Seers knew those secrets. They expose various scandals to get Streke's competition out of the way."

"Why him? Streke isn't the brightest politician. They could have gotten a better leader."

My father chuckled. "That is exactly why they wanted him. He knows he's a rimworld yokel. He is a fish out of water on the City-World. His lack of self-esteem makes him easily manipulated. But the Seers want to be his sole manipulator. That is why I was tasked in the last few years to keep him on track. The secret meeting he had on Corellia went the way we wanted, but in other time streams he is persuaded to help the dishonored politician begging for assistance and it would come back to bite him in the ass. I was there to make sure it didn't happen. If he wanted to remain in office his benefactors demanded that he remain beyond reproach." My father paused to sip his drink. "Overall, he is surprisingly moral for a politician. We haven't had to yank on his leash much."

I looked over to Deke. "How did you get involved in this?"

It was my dad that answered. "I brought in Deke because he knew the location of the Vong Shamed Ones. If the virus didn't work, and in some times streams it didn't, they would be the idea fighters to go against Force-users."

I continued to gaze at my father's friend. "So they needed you to get the location of the Vong…but what are you getting out of this?"

"I'll give you a hint," Deke said with a roll of his eyes. "Who do you think I get my very accurate intelligence information from?"

"The Seers." I blew out a frustrated breath. "So they help you keep Tenel Ka and Jacen safe and in return you gave up the location of the Vong and I assume you are the amber lightsaber Void Jumper who trained them, right?"

"Yes."

My eyes narrowed not quite believing his story. "I am sure the seers, along with the King of Indupar, could have given you anything you wanted in exchange for your help…why ask for something that benefits Tenel Ka and Jacen? Why not ask for a million credits and retire?"

He gave a sarcastic snort. "I thought the Jedi believed in loyalty." He turned in his seat so he could face me fully. "I have been protecting the Queen and your dumbass cousin for well over a decade. I have watched their children grow. I have sworn to protect them…and in exchange the Queen has taken good care of my family and me. She has paid for my children to get the best education at the finest universities in the galaxy. I guess you can say…I like my employers…they're okay for spooks." He grinned mischievously. "Also, I like pissing off the Queen. I bet she was mad that I smuggled her off Hapes in an animal shipping container."

I sighed deeply. "She was talking about reopening the dungeon just for you."

He laughed out loud. "Ouch. Maybe I pushed her a little too far that time."

"Jacen said he can't fire you…you know too much," I said hoping to get a response out of the man.

He chuckled as he turned to my father. "I thought you did a memory rub on Jacen. He shouldn't remember what exactly I know too much of."

My dad shrugged. "He could get his memories back. Especially if Tenel Ka helps him remember."

Deke turned back to me. "I do know too much. Tenel Ka can't risk firing me. She would have to kill me to keep Jacen's nasty little secret safe." His smile slipped off his face for a moment. "That's why when you suggested that Tenel Ka staged the attack on the Hapan palace that I briefly wondered if you were right. Did she have the palace attacked to kill the royals and hopefully get me mortally wounded? But then I remembered something." He pointed to my father. "She would have to kill your dad also." He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the conference table. "Not that I would betray her trust even if she did give me walking papers. If I take down Jacen I also hurt the Jedi order…and that would piss off your dad and he would tell your mom not to send me anymore homemade chocolates during Winter Fete…and I can't have that."

"Of course not," I said cynically. "Lets get back to the Vong. You give up the location of the aliens and what then, you go out there to recruit them?"

He nodded. "They were slaves who, during their entire lives, were told they would never be warriors. I offered them the opportunity. They were more than happy to leave their internment in the Maw and a life of farming for a chance for adventure."

"So, you leaked a video of you training the Vong to yourself and then made a big deal about giving it to my father in front of Ben and me. My dad pretends he didn't know about it. He hands the vid over to Ben to gives it to Uncle Luke so the Jedi would get nervous about staying on Coruscant."

"Obviously," Deke muttered mockingly.

I blew out a frustrated breath. "What about the sniper rifle assassination attempt on Streke?"

Deke raised his hand. "Entirely choreographed by me. Streke was really reluctant to order the Jedi off planet. He thought the public would balk and his chances for reelection would fade. He needed to demonstrate that the Jedi were attracting dangerous Force-users to the area. We thought a fake assassination attempt would help bring the issue to a head. Also, it would help justify to his scientists the making and distributing of the Force-killing virus. I had one of my snipers do the deed because I knew you had those spooky post-cognitive powers that may recognize my Force signature if the Chief-of-State wasn't successful in keeping Jedi out of the crime scene."

I nodded slowly, my head hurt from thinking so much. "How about the short Void Jumper that dumped the Slavers off on Dathomir?"

Deke and my dad looked to each other nervously. "Umm… that was somebody else."

It took me a while to figure out why my father would be exuding nervousness thought the Force. "My…the King?" I was about to say, 'My son', but I wasn't sure how much Deke knew about the situation.

"That was supposed to be me," Deke said. "But King Marcus is financing this venture…so I was overruled and the King took the men out in their first combat mission. I was there though."

I looked to my Dad angrily. "He's just a boy."

"Talon, I didn't know about it until later."

I blew out a breath as I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. "Why did he strip the men naked?"

"I can explain that," Deke said. "The King and I tackled and captured a handful of men personally. Afterwards King Marcus remembered you could probably sense us through any inanimate object we handled. Since we didn't enter the ship we just needed to get rid of the slaver's clothing that we touched. We figured it would be odd to only strip a handful of men…so we stripped them all."

"And the permanent stylus markings written on their bodies saying, 'We enslave women'?"

Deke grinned broadly. "That was my idea. I also thought it would be funny to drop them off on Dathomir. Let them get a taste of their own medicine."

"And why are you doing the slaving operations at all?"

"The Vong needed combat experience before they deployed to Coruscant or Kesh," Deke explained. "They were once slaves so we thought what better way to let them get Void Jumper and fighting experience than by attacking slavers."

"What are you doing with the slaves? They were never returned to their families."

"They're fine," my father assured me. "Most were taken as children and don't remember their families. A lot of them were sold into slavery by their relatives. Others were so mentally and emotionally damaged that they are going to be in therapy for years. The ones that were mutilated are undergoing operations to return them back to their old selves…if possible. Marcus is paying for their rehabilitation. Some of the slaves are working in the palace, some on the ship and others are in classes to learn a trade. You already met one…the lady chauffer on Ec Pand is a recently liberated slave."

I massaged the temples of my head where a raging headache was beginning to form. "How long have the seers been planning all of this?"

My father reached forward and grabbed a cup of caf off the conference table. "After Palpatine they swore they would never standby and let evil take over the galaxy again. They have been planning and scheming to alter the future since before I was created."

"So they weren't just trying to influence things for Indupar."

"No, for the galaxy as a whole."

.

.

**_Entry 138_ **

My father rose from his seat. "I need to hit the latrine and then see what's keeping the King. I'll be back."

As soon as my father left Deke turned his attention to me. "Hey, I have to ask you something."

I eyed him suspiciously. "What?"

Deke got up and sat in the seat next to me before whispering. "Why is your dad so adamant about not letting King Marcus and Allana meet?"

I couldn't hide the look of disgust from my face. "Why is your Queen and Jacen so determined that they do meet? The king is only thirteen and Allana is what…eleven?"

"I know they are kids, but we are talking about a meeting, not a promise of marriage. Just a meeting."

"Yeah, but to what end?"

"To what end? To possibly safeguard your relatives. You know what Tenel Ka faces every day, don't you?" He shook his head in frustration. "There are people who want her and her family dead. The few that aren't planning her demise are hoping to marry off one of their inbreed little hell spawn sons to the Princess…and as soon as she gives birth to a girl-child her husband will probably plot to kill her so his family can rule through his child's birthright. Hapans are the vilest creatures in the galaxy."

I laughed caustically. "And you want King Marcus to get involved with that dysfunctional situation?"

Deke let out a long sigh. "I'm getting old. I can't protect Tenel Ka and her family forever. It would be nice if Allana could find herself a partner…a friend that isn't trying to use her to their betterment. I have worked with the young king. He is an amazing young man…and powerful. He's got a battle fleet and those seers." He looked down at his caf before taking a sip. "Talon, I'm no longer useful to the seers. I trained the Vong and soon the mission will be over. I will lose my source of intel. Maybe if the King and Allana were at least friends he would help keep her safe."

"Deke," I said slowly. "King Marcus will continue to help you protect Tenel Ka and her family."

He ran an agitated hand through his hair. "How can you promise that? Just because your father works for the king doesn't mean you have any pull with him."

I leaned forward in my chair and stared the man in the eye. "I promise you, he will ensure Tenel Ka and her family will remain safe."

I think Deke's extended time on Hapes has made him a jaded man. In Hapan culture there is no something for nothing.

"Why would he do that?"

"Because she's family," came a voice behind me. I turned to find my son standing in the doorway. Marcus entered the room followed by my father who closed the door behind him. Marcus sat down in a seat at the end of the table and grinned at what I was certain was an expression of pure astonishment on my face. "Don't look so shocked, Dad. I am sure Commander Tavik is a man that can keep a secret."

I turned to see Deke staring at the king slackjawed and silent.

"Damn," my father laughed as he sat down next to me. "If I knew the news would render Deke speechless I would have told him a long time ago."

Tavik shook his head. "What?" He pointed to me and then to my son. "You are his father?"

"Obviously," I said in the same mocking tone he used on me earlier in the day.

"How did that happen?"

My father chuckled. "In the same way most babies are conceived, I imagine."

"Wait, wait," Deke said as he waved a hand. "I researched King Marcus extensively before I took on this mission. Two independent DNA testing laboratories confirmed his paternity. The Queen was carrying the son of the late king."

"That is true," Marcus said sadly. "My cousin—or I guess genetically he could be considered my half-brother since my mother and the queen are identical twins—was miscarried. I am the son of Ema Aiti and Talon Tantiss."

Deke sat back in his chair. "Ohhh," Deke drew out the word. "This all makes sense, now." He gestured to my father. "I never comprehended why you left Coruscant. Leaving the Jedi Order I understood, but you had two sons and a granddaughter on Coruscant. It wasn't like you to leave them behind."

"I didn't meet my grandson until he was nine years old," my father said softly. "I had some catching up to do."

Deke chuckled under his breath. "Wow, I didn't see that one." He looked at me. "Who else knows?"

"From our side of the family," I said while counting on my fingers. "It is me and Ben, along with our wives. Jaden and his family and my mom and my dad."

"Well, I can see why you would want to keep that a secret." He paused in thought before turning to Marcus. "But that would make you and Allana second cousins…and when it comes to royals…that is marriage material."

"Can we not talk about this?" I interrupted. "I find it disturbing." I addressed Marcus. "When will the attack on Kesh begin?"

He looked at his wristchrono. "In about an hour my flagship should be exiting hyperspace."

I nodded slowly as I thought about the mission. "Are you sure the virus really works on all the Sith? What happens if you bombard their planet with the virus and only half succumb to its effects? Even with a battalion of Void Jumpers, you don't have enough men to attack a planet with possibly tens of thousands of unaffected Sith."

"We have a couple contingency plans for that," my dad said. "After we destroy all of the ships they have stolen we can put a planetary blockade on their world…or…" my father's words drifted off.

"Or what?" I asked him emphatically.

He blanched slightly before answering. "We still have the Galaxy Gun. That is why we needed the Chief-of-State…specifically, one that will do our bidding."

I let out a strangled gasp. "You intend on blowing up the planet? No wonder you wanted to keep this from Uncle Luke. I have to say I am siding with the Grand Master with this one, that is genocide!" I stared at my father in shock. "Dad, there has to be women and children on that planet. We don't know if they are all evil. They may not all be Sith. How do you know everybody is a threat?"

My father averted his eyes. "The Seers have told me so."

I looked to my son. "You're a seer. Are you contemplating mass murder?"

My son looked down. "It would only be used in the most extreme case. In most time streams where the virus is not 100 percent effective, we can effectively isolate them on their planet. We will destroy their ships and hunt down any remaining Sith that were off planet. There are only a few time streams where the virus and blockade are not successful." He gazed at me thoughtfully. "You know what two Sith did to this galaxy during the rein of Palpatine…can you imagine what devastation thousands of Sith can do?"

I gave a grunt of disgust. "Marcus, I know you are a trained seer, but your instructors may have tricked you. You are a novice compared to their Head Seer. Perhaps they are manipulating the time streams and allowing you to see only what they want you to see. Why would you trust them without reservation?"

"Because none of us would be alive if it wasn't for their machinations," my father said adamantly. "The galaxy would have been devastated by the Vong war leaving trillions dead, including half the Jedi order, your cousin Jacen would have turned to the darkside and end up hunted down and killed by his own sister. The Sith would slaughter countless people on Coruscant. And I…I would have never existed. I would have never rescued your mom and never had children. I owe the seers everything!" My father's voice cracked with emotion and I could feel his absolute conviction through the Force.

"Dad, you don't know that. There are thousands of time streams. The possibilities are endless."

Marcus lowered his head. "He's right, dad. Without the seers…we wouldn't be here."

I looked to Marcus and then my father. Both looked dead serious. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, what do you mean," Deke interjected, obviously just as clueless as I was.

"The seers," my dad said softly and with some hesitation. "They arranged for the second Luke Skywalker clone to be created by the cloner working for Joruus C'baoth." He smiled sadly. "I guess that is a good thing. I always thought I was created to be a lobotomized Imperial sentinel for a Dark Jedi. Instead I was created without C'baoth's knowledge and placed in a location where Han and Luke would find me. That explains why I was in a stasis cylinder instead of a cloning tube and why I had military flash training unlike the Skywalker clone Mara killed. It answers all the questions I had since the beginning."

I was absolutely dumbfounded by his statement. "No, that doesn't explain anything. Why would the seers have you created?"

My father took a few deep breaths before telling his story. "After Palpatine they saw great danger in the galaxy. They looked and looked for a possible future that avoided all the bloodshed, but they couldn't find a way to stop the Vong War or the war with the Sith and other horrible dangers. There was no good future. They realized they had to add something to the equation and they knew from the Clone Wars that clones could cloud if not alter the time stream. Clones are anomalous beings that normally wouldn't exist…and because of that they cause shatterpoints to form. The seers used their influence to have the geneticist on Wayland create me. I was based on Luke's DNA, but it was altered to make me bigger…but they also requested other changes be made in my genes."

"What changes?"

My father shrugged. "They wanted certain genetic traits altered to make me less inclined to desire power. They knew I would gain Sith and Jedi knowledge that could potentially make me the most dangerous Force user in the galaxy. They didn't want to create somebody worse than Palpatine. So my DNA was altered to suppress my personal drive and ambition. My military flash training made sure I was a loyal soldier. Once I was created the time streams changed…now there was hope and through the years I was unwittingly guided to my proper path. Later on they decided to continue their manipulations to ensure the creation of Marcus." He glanced over to me. "The Seers are the reason I am alive and have my family. I owe them everything. Marcus is a seer and he trusts them…so I trust them. If they say the people on Kesh need to die, then I believe them."

"No," I said with a shake of my head. "It's a lie to get you to do their bidding. I don't care what they see in the time stream. Destroying a planet is never acceptable."

"It was with Byss," my father said quietly. "Luke and Han were given medals for its destruction."

I looked over to my son. "Do you believe the story the Seers have spun?"

"I do," he stood and grabbed something from the corner of the room. He held up what looked like an old stick. "I didn't believe the story either…until I held the walking cane of the High Seer Tobar. He's had it for over fifty years. He said to give it to you if you don't believe my words." He handed the old wooden walking stick to me. "Now you can verify the truth also."

He sat back down and watched me expectantly. I held the cane in my hands, closed my eyes and concentrated. Jumbles of images rushed through my mind. I could see the seers discussing the problem with the Sith, Jacen's turn to the darkside and before that the Vong, the Emperor Reborn and then the situation with the dark Jedi Joruus C'baoth. What I saw next shocked me to my core. So much so, that I dropped the cane and slowly turned to my father. "It's true."

"Father," Marcus said as he drew in a deep breath. "Once this problem is resolved the Seers foresee hundreds of years of peace. Ninety-nine percent all of the time streams foresee an easy and bloodless defeat of the Sith. It is extremely unlikely that the Galaxy Gun will be used. We just need to stick to the plan."

I felt sick to my stomach. My dad was right about a couple things…I really shouldn't be here and the Jedi should definitely not be involved. I know I was no longer a Jedi, but I still had my moral convictions. I turned and walked to the door. "I can't be part of this."

I expected my son to argue or ask me not to leave, but instead he simply said, "I know. Take your shuttle back to Ec Pand. You have to make sure the Jedi don't return to Coruscant for another week."

I nodded silently before I turned and left. It was the first time I have ever walked away from my son without a hug, but I felt like I was suffocating in the room. I was already called the Butcher of Jabiim, I didn't want to be known as the Destroyer of Kesh.

I need time to think.


	40. Chapter 40

**_Entry 139_ **

All the way back to Indupar I thought about the situation. I wasn't sure what to tell the Jedi or my family. If things go bad during the Sith mission and Kesh is destroyed or if the citizens of Coruscant discover a biological agent was released on their planet…what will happen to my family? This is very similar to the predicament with Jacen's turn to the darkside. In that case, telling the truth would destroy my family and could devastate the Jedi Order.

In the end I decided to keep my big mouth shut about the mission to Kesh and the Sith. This left me with the problem of what to tell the Grand Master. How do I keep the Jedi away from Coruscant long enough for the virus to degrade and become nonviable?

I just need a way to convince the Jedi to stay on Ec Pand until the virus dissipates on Coruscant.

**_._ **

**_._ **

**_Entry 140_ **

I arrived on Ec Pand and landed my father's shuttle in the docking bay of what would have been the Indupar Knight's Headquarters. I exited the ship and discovered the new Jedi temple was a buzz of activity. Indupar workers were filling the once unfurnished building with furniture and equipment. I stumbled upon a few teenage Jedi Knights and asked for the location of the Grand Master. I was told that the Masters had meeting on the other side of the building in the main conference area. I traveled in that direction and after a few minutes of searching I finally found Ben walking down a corridor.

"Ben!"

He stopped and smiled upon seeing me. "Does your presence here mean you are coming back to the Jedi?"

I shook my head. "No. I just came back from seeing Marcus in orbit above Coruscant and I need to warn you about something."

Ben waved me off. "You're too late. A representative of the Galactic Alliance Intelligence Bureau gave a debriefing to all the Masters about the situation on Coruscant."

My brow rose in surprise. "Do you know what was said?"

He gave a chuckle. "Ahh…yeah. I _am_ a Master now."

I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot, **_Master_** Skywalker."

"You better not forget it," he said teasingly. "Anyway, the Intelligence Agent said a group of Force adepts had banded together on Coruscant in an attempt to overthrow the government. He described them as a 'Sith Cult'. They imagined themselves as Sith and even built crimson bladed lightsabers. Once the Jedi left in defense of Ec Pand they decided to go on the offensive. They broke into the Penitentiary's bio-storage area and attempted to steal the virus the government had been using to Force-sterilize dangerous convicts. Something went wrong and the bad guys accidently released the virus."

It took me a second to comprehend this new story. "So Mokk Streke is telling the galaxy that the Sith Cult released the virus?"

Ben gave me a nod before looking as me inquisitively. "Yes…are you suggesting that wasn't what happened?"

I shook my head vigorously. "No! I am not saying anything. I'm just asking questions."

Ben gazed as me suspiciously for a long moment before continuing. "The Galactic Alliance military and law enforcement had an unnamed informant that knew about the cult and was able to provide the police the names and locations of the gang members. The group was under surveillance for quite some time. When they stole the virus the GA went in and arrested the Sith wannabes. We were shown the arrest videos of a number of the men and women apprehended. They did have red lightsabers, but they didn't know how to use them or the virus spread fast enough that they were Force sterilized."

"Was there anything said about the attacks on slavers?

Ben nodded. "The agent did address the situation with the slaver attacks. He claims some mysterious group called the Outer Rim Abolition coalition or ORAC liberated the slaves. Since it was believed these slaving organizations might be associated to this Sith cult, the slaves were put in protective custody until the sting operation was complete. According to the Intelligence agent, Mokk Streke said they would be reunited with their families soon."

I was impressed with the lies Streke made up to cover his tracks. It appears that I won't have to concoct a story to keep the Jedi off Coruscant. "And how did he explain the presense of Vong Shamed Ones working with ORAC?"

Ben shrugged. "He never mentioned the Vong. He said the coalition was an assemblage of sentients from throughout the galaxy."

"And did he mention anything about the Amber lightsaber carrying Void Jumpers?"

I could sense Ben was getting suspicious with all my questions. "He never mentioned lightsabers or Void Jumpers." He ran a hand though his red hair. "In fact, his explanation doesn't make sense unless this coalition has the backing of somebody with a lot of money." He sucked in a breath before gazing at me intently. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

I have no idea what conclusion Ben is jumping to, but I am not going to offer any suggestions. "I doubt it," I muttered, but quickly added. "You know I'm not good at unraveling mysteries."

"I think ORAC is sponsored by the Galactic Alliance…off the books. Streke has wanted to abolish slavery for a while, but the slavers are operating outside his jurisdiction. He can't officially go in and attack them, but he could arrange funding for an abolition organization." He paused in thought. "In fact, if he truly believed the slavers and this Sith cult were colluding with each other, it would be wise to order lightsaber proof armor and he may have recruited the Vong to assist the abolitionists since they would be ideal warriors where it comes to hunting down Sith. There were some scattered reports of Void Jumpers present at the arrests." He shook his head with a laugh. "I think I underestimated the Chief-of-State." He paused for a minute before frowning. "Of course, that doesn't explain who the Mimetic suited man was or why he wanted the Jedi off Coruscant."

I clamped down on my emotions before giving a slight shrug of my shoulders. "Well, you once thought the Mimetic suited man was somebody who interacted with Sith…because he stated he had seen a person pull the memories out of a person's brain…so, maybe he is the informant that helped identify the Sith cult members."

Ben's brow furrowed. "Yeah…maybe."

I decided to change the subject. "How do you like the new temple?"

Ben smiled widely. "The apartments for the Masters are amazing. Valla is in heaven." His smile faded slightly. "Unfortunately, she will probably be on shipping runs more than I like."

"Ben, Marcus had offered to pay for a full time crew. Let Valla set up a shipping headquarters here and let somebody else fly the ship. I know Zylie is going to miss you and her sister. They'd see each other more often if we are residing in the same solar system."

He ran a hand over his chin. "I'll suggest that."

I grinned happily. I would love to have my entire family together.

Now I just hope everything goes well on Kesh.

**.**

**.**

**_Entry 141_ **

After visiting with Ben I decided to return to Indupar. I miss Zylie. I had left her a message telling her I went to visit Marcus and my Dad on Coruscant, but I didn't elaborate as to why. I was sure she was going to barrage me with questions, but I soon found out she had other things on her mind.

When I entered out apartment she ran out of the 'fresher wearing a bathrobe, grabbed my arm and practically dragged me into our bedroom. "Talon, we need to make love now! I'm ovulating!"

I have to admit, that comment threw me for a loop. "What? How do you know that?"

She seized her datapad off the bedside table and activated some sort of program. "This is an ovulation computing application. I input the first day of my last period and the normal duration of my cycle and then I take my basal body temperature everyday and input that data. When the prime time to conceive occurs the program will start beeping. It has been beeping for the last hour!" She looked at me in a panic. "Hurry, take off your clothes! If we miss this window of opportunity we have to wait another month."

"Okay," I said as I kicked off my boots. To be honest, I was a little put off by an electronic device indicating when I should have sex. "Where did you learn about all this stuff?"

"From your mother," she said as she helped pull my tunic off over my head. "I guess her and your dad had some trouble conceiving. She said…"

"Stop!" I shouted. "I don't want to hear anything about my parents having sex."

She laughed as she unbuttoned my pants. "Okay, okay, just hurry."

Finally I was stripped down to my boxers and I have to admit I was not in the mood. I looked down below my waist. "Zylie, all this pressure is not conducive for romance. I don't think I can perform under these circumstances."

She rolled her eyes and dropped her bathrobe to the floor revealing her gorgeous naked figure. She looked me up and down and smirked. "I think you're ready for the big performance."

I glanced down and gave a bashful grin. "I think you are right, Mrs. Tantiss."

Ha! She was correct. I gave a rousing performance and two encores.

.

.

**_Entry 142_ **

My father and Marcus returned from Coruscant today. I went down to the King's quarters to find out what happened. I was reassured to find Marcus sitting on the floor and playing with his pet vornskr, Dak. He looked up and smiled broadly. "I think Dak missed me." He motioned for me to come inside. "Shut the door behind you."

I did as he asked. "So, were there any problems?"

He shook his head. "No, the planet was saturated with the virus. My crew transmitted a warning for the Sith to abandon all ships. After a few minutes we used an ion cannon to take out all of the starships we could find on planet and we destroyed a number of ships that were in orbit that refused to surrender. There are probably unexposed Sith somewhere out in the galaxy, but I think we got the majority of them. There were minimal casualties."

I sat on a couch near my son. "Is the threat over? What do the seers see? What do you see?"

His grin grew broader. "I see peace, dad."

I let out a relieved breath. "Peace. I like the sound of that."

.

.

**_Entry 143_ **

A week later Jaden contacted me from Ossus.

"Talon, Dr. J'Shan sent me a message stating he's taken air samples from various locations around Coruscant and reports there are no viable viral spores remaining. We can return to Coruscant…but I would recommend we wait for a little longer, just to be on the safe side. I already notified Uncle Luke."

"Okay, are you coming to Ec Pand?"

"I really hope so," he said enthusiastically. "We have to see if the Grand Master is going to keep the children on Ossus or move them to the new temple. I hope we move. The electrical storms here are horrible. I can't wait to leave."

"I look forward to seeing you and your family," I said before signing off.

I love the idea of having the Jedi on Ec Pand, but I wonder how long it will be before my big secret is revealed…that I am the father of the King…a boy that millions of Indupar citizens believe is a living god.

.

.

**_Entry 144_ **

Mom and Dad invited the Skywalkers, Zylie and me over to dinner at their apartment. I wasn't sure if that is a good idea to be in the same palace as Marcus. When I expressed these fears my father. He waved me off saying I had nothing to worry about.

"Marcus will have a ysalamiri in his quarters. Nobody will sense him through the Force. "

"Except for you," said jokingly referring to my father's acquired immunity to the ysalamiri's effects. I hesitated slightly before bringing up a subject that might be a sore spot for my father. "Speaking of Uncle Luke...Dad, I have to tell you, Luke blames himself for you leaving Coruscant. He thinks it is because you felt pressured to do the memory rub on Jacen. He doesn't know about Marcus. Maybe you can reassure him that you didn't leave because of him."

Dad ran his fingers through his beard and frowned. "I hate the thought that Luke feels any guilt over what happened on Myrkr." He flashed a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll find a way to smooth things over with Luke and Mara."

"That would be nice," I said, not feeling confident that anything my father could say would reassure my uncle. "They were nearly heartbroken when they found out I was leaving. Uncle Luke asked why I was abandoning the Jedi. Aunt Mara even tracked me down before I left to get the truth out of me. Luckily Zylie told Mara I was resigning from the Jedi to start a family."

My father grinned slightly. "How is that coming along? Mom said she gave Zylie some advice on the matter."

"I heard." I blushed fiercely. "I think I can handle that mission without any additional input from my parents."

My father just laughed and slapped a good-natured hand on my shoulder. "Dinner is tomorrow night at 19:00 hours. Dress casual."

.

.

**_Entry 145_ **

Zylie and I arrived at my parents' apartment early to help my mom and dad with setting the table and dinner preparations while we waited for Luke and Mara's arrival. Dad had sent a couple of the King's guards down to the Palace docking bay to escort them to our location.

About thirty minutes later the doorbell buzzed. My father went to the entry and ushered my aunt and uncle inside. "Luke, Mara, I am so glad you are finally able to visit," my father said as he shook Luke's hand and then turned and gave Mara a big brotherly hug.

"Well, we would have visited earlier, but we weren't invited until this week," my aunt said with a slight sarcastic tone.

My dad shrugged his shoulders. "I was told your Chief-of-State was suspicious of the Jedi and with the discovery of stygium crystals on Ec Pand I was afraid that your Jedi-phobic Chief-of-State might find any visit to the Indupar Crown Worlds by the Grand Master…suspicious."

Mara gave a dramatic sigh. "And knowing our Chief-of-State…you are probably correct."

While my dad and Mara were talking my Uncle Luke was gazing in wonderment at my parent's luxury apartment before giving out a low whistle. "Wow, I thought our new quarters on Ec Pand were nice, but you have us beat."

"A second building is going up next year," my father said as he took their coats and hung them up in the entry closest. "Maybe we can request grandeur quarters for the Grand Master."

Luke chuckled. "I wasn't insinuating our current living conditions were lacking in anyway. It is a mansion compared to what we lived in at the Coruscant Temple." He gazed wide-eyed at the apartment's vaulted ceilings, marble floors, with a lavish chef's kitchen adjacent to a huge dining room with a long polished wood table with seating for twelve. "But this place..." He paused for a moment. "I can see why you left the Jedi. This residence is fit for a king."

My father frowned at that comment. "The quarters at the Temple were fine. I did spend thirty years there…and I would still be there if I didn't retire. And if you recall, I left the Jedi years before I moved to Indupar. There is no correlation between the two." He motioned to his lavish apartment. "This looks like a royal residence because it is. It was once the home of the late King's mother. After she died it remained unoccupied for almost twenty years until Kira and I moved in."

I glance over to Zylie and made a face. I really hope this evening doesn't end up in a family fight.

"Well," my uncle said softly. "Retirement suits you."

Aunt Mara closed her eyes briefly and sighed. "Your apartment is beautiful, Kira and whatever you are cooking smells wonderful."

The corner of my lips curled up. It is obvious that my aunt doesn't want any arguing tonight either.

"Can I get anybody a drink?" I offered as I moved to my parent's cooling unit. "We have flavored water, some white wine, and if we don't have what you want we can make a call to the palace kitchen and have something delivered."

"Water will be fine," my uncle said as he walked around the room checking out the fine art hanging on the walls. "Talon, I think the apartment that was given to me and your aunt on Ec Pand was originally meant for you."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "Why do you say that?"

He turned to me and grinned. "There is a beautiful sculpted frieze on the office wall depicting a company of Void Jumpers led by an armored jump trooper carrying a lightsaber."

I laughed thinking it was a joke, but soon realized he wasn't joking. "Really? That's ummm…" I stalled, not knowing what to say. "Well, it can't represent me, since I only recently made the decision to move to Indupar." I paused for a moment before adding, "And I have never led a VJ company. I have always been a Jedi Asset with no rank." I walked over and handed my uncle and aunt some bottled water. "The king did develop a fascination with Void Jumpers after training with Dad. It might be in homage to my father."

"Well," Luke said with a smile. "It is a beautiful sculpture. The young King obviously is serious about starting his own Jedi Order."

"Yes, he is."

I was so relieved when my mother called everybody to the table to eat. The food was fantastic. I always loved my mom's home cooking. We made it all the way to dessert before Uncle Luke started asking more questions.

He turned to my father. "So Mark, whose idea was it to send the Jedi to Ec Pand? Was it the Chief-of-State's or that of the young King?"

My father finished the last bit of his cream pie before answering. "It was a little of both. Mokk Streke wanted to place either a division of soldiers on Ec Pand or a fleet in orbit above the planet to protect the crystals. The king might be young, but he's not stupid. He didn't want an army occupying his lands. The relocation of the Jedi Order to Ec Pand was a compromise. It provided protection to the crystals without the threat of annexation."

Mara sipped her wine before raising a curious eyebrow. "We fall under the command of the Chief-of-State the same as the military. Why doesn't he see the Jedi as a possible threat to his sovereignty?"

I am the one to answer that question. "Because he trusts the Jedi to do the right thing." My aunt's comment troubled me. "You wouldn't invade Ec Pand if ordered to seize the crystal mine…would you?"

I became even more anxious when my uncle had to think about that question before answering. "It would have to be special circumstances such as a breach in the agreement. The Chief-of-State did purchase the crystals and the rights to future crystals mined for twenty years. If the King decided to renege on the deal they made…then something would have to be done to rectify the situation."

"Well, we don't have to worry about that," my mother chimed in obviously bothered by the conversation. "The King isn't going to default on his contract."

"I'm sure he won't," my uncle agreed. "I'm more worried about him poaching more of my best Jedi."

My aunt groaned. "Luke, you promised not to bring that up."

My dad's jaw tightened. "Luke, the King did not poach me or Talon."

My uncle heaved a sigh. "Then why did you leave to train a stranger?" He slouched in his chair looking defeated. "It's because of what I asked you to do on Myrkr, isn't it?" He shook his head sadly. "I feel awful about what happened, but it was the only way to save our family."

"What?" Zylie said suddenly. "What happened on Myrkr that was bad? I was told Jacen and Mark killed a Sith. Did something else happen?"

I muttered a profanity under my breath. I guess Uncle Luke forgot that Zylie was never told about Jacen's fall to the darkside. "It's better that you don't know, Zylie," I whispered to my wife.

Her gaze moved to each person at the table. "It looks like everybody in this room knows what happened on Myrkr but me."

"That's it," my mother said sharply as she stood. "I am tired of all the secrecy. We are all driving each other crazy because nobody wants to reveal the truth." When she walked to the front door my father stood, but my mother motioned for him to sit. "I will be right back. Stay here!"

My dad dropped back down to his seat and we all sat at the table staring at each other in an awkward silence. My uncle was the first to speak. "Sorry Mark. I didn't want to cause you family problems." He looked to Zylie. "Don't blame Talon for keeping secrets. What happened on Myrkr could devastate our family and the Jedi Order. We all made a pact to keep the events that transpired a secret, but you probably should know." He turned to me. "It's a long story. Talon can tell you after dinner."

It was then my mother returned with Marcus in tow. My son saw Luke and Mara and attempted to back out the door, but my mother whispered something to him that made him hesitate. She put a hand on his shoulder and guided him to the table. Marcus was doing his best to suppress his Force signature. So much so, that I really doubt my uncle or aunt could sense he was my son. "Luke, Mara, this is King Marcus the ruling monarch of the Indupar Crown Worlds."

Luke and Mara rose to their feet looking uneasy. They probably wondered what my mother told Marcus or what she was planning. I don't think anybody in the room had any clue as to what was going to happen next. Before Luke could say anything my mom continued her introduction. "He is also the spiritual leader of the State religion—The Bright Path. Millions of worshipers believe he is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. He is The Chosen, the Son of the Great Creator, the knower of all—the past, present and future—and the protector of the Realm." Mom paused for a moment before continuing. "But to me…he is just my grandson." She gestured to my father, Zylie and me. "We came to Indupar to be near Marcus because he is family." She smiled warmly. "And we love him."

A wide grin split Marcus' face as he dropped his Force cloaking. He walked over and offered Uncle Luke his hand in greeting. "It is a pleasure to finally meet my great uncle and aunt."

Luke turned and stared at me dumbfounded. "I knew you had a secret, Talon…but this I never imagined."

Mara scoffed. "It's Talon we're talking about. This doesn't take a stretch of the imagination."

I chuckled in relief. I'm glad to be able to finally share my happiness with my extended family.

I'll write more later. I'm currently in my bedroom and Zylie's datapad just started beeping.


	41. Chapter 41

**_Entry 146_ **

After hours of making love I ran out of ways to delay telling Zylie the truth about Myrkr. I snuggled up next to her in bed and told her about Jacen's fall to the darkside. I was a little surprised by her reaction. I expected her to be shocked or worried about my cousin relapsing, but she brought up issues I never really considered.

Her brow furrowed in thought. "Is your family susceptible to the darkside? Can it be genetic?"

"What? Why would you ask that?"

"Why would I ask that?" Her tone was one of pure astonishment. "We spent the last two hours trying to make a baby. Your father is an altered Luke Skywalker clone…meaning you are genetically the grandson of Darth Vader, the same as Jacen Solo." Tension tightened the delicate features of her face. "Then you tell me your dad used a Sith technique to save your Aunt Mara…that his eyes were a jaundice Sith yellow. That means somebody in every generation of your family since Darth Vader has fell to the darkside. If I get pregnant are we going to bring into the galaxy another Sith?"

"No, no," I reached over and gave her a reassuring hug. "My dad never turned to the darkside. He used the darkside of the Force to save my aunt, but the darkside never had a hold over him." I stretched back on my pillows and tried to think of a good analogy. "I guess the best way to explain it is to look at spice addicts. Some people take one hit and they are hooked. They become addicted and tear apart their lives and destroy their families. Then there are people who can take a hit of spice and never use it ever again. That is my dad. He used the darkside once, but he never got hooked."

Worry darkened her expression. "So you are saying only two out of three of your family members got hooked." She looked down and ran a hand over her flat belly. "In other words, if we conceived a baby tonight he or she has a thirty-three percent chance of being a normal, non-Sith bundle of joy."

I was getting a little concerned about this conversation. Zylie knew about the Skywalker ties to Darth Vader. I guess she forced herself not to dwell on the possibilities, but hearing about what happened to Jacen and dad has her concerned.

"Don't worry Zylie…I'm fairly certain any darkside tendencies has been breed out of my immediate family."

A confused expression crossed her face. "What?"

My shoulders slumped as I realized I had some more secrets to reveal. "I recently found out that my father's DNA was altered much more than we once thought. He not only was designed to be bigger and more muscular…but ambition and desire for power was clipped out of his genome."

She regarded me quizzically. "How in the world would you know that? I was told everything under Mount Tantiss was destroyed."

I drew in a deep breath and let it out before pressing on. "Joruus C'Baoth never new about my father. He wasn't made for that dark Jedi." I hesitated knowing what I was about to say would bring forth more questions than answers. "The Seers. They arranged for my father to be created. I don't know what they gave the geneticist for his cooperation, but my dad was custom made for the Seers to help make a future of their liking." I glanced over to Zylie, but she remained quiet and focused on my story." I blew out a frustrated breath and continued. "They have been manipulating my family for generations. They were the ones who sent Ema and the queen to Coruscant and told them to get Jedi protection. They manipulated the situation so Marcus would be created. They wanted to…"

I was going to say _'They wanted to prevent the late king's relative from gaining the throne'_ , but Zylie muttered her own theory.

"…Fulfill the prophecy." She gazed at me intently. "Remember when we talked about the prophecy of the mountain king? Could the Seers have been trying to create their very own celestial?"

I chuckled at that preposterous theory. "No, they wanted my dad because clones create shatterpoints and allow alternate futures to form. Marcus was needed to prevent an evil man from taking the throne. Marcus is not a celestial. My father is not the mountain god."

She raised an eyebrow. "How do you know Marcus is not a celestial? According to the local religion _The Chosen_ would be the spirit of a celestial inhabiting a mortal body."

I scoffed not wanting to discuss religion. "Well," I said slowly. "If Marcus is a celestial…at least you don't have to worry about him turning to the Darkside. He'd be above all that."

Zylie rolled her eyes. "You have obviously have never taken a mythology class in college."

I sighed. "You've seen what he's done on Indupar and Ec Pand…all the good deeds. Do you really think there is a dark side to my son?"

She shook her head. "No. He's a wonderful boy…like his father…and his father's father."

I smiled softly. "Like I said, dark side qualities have been breed out of us." I leaned in and kissed her gently. "If you are this worried…maybe we should hold off on trying to have a family."

"Oh no," she whispered as she settled her head on my shoulder. "I want to be a mother…and besides, I think my mom and dad are already out buying baby clothes."

"Well then," I said in my best sultry voice as I ran my palm up and down the length of her body. "I guess we should get back to baby making."

I am glad I was able to change the subject back to a more pleasurable topic…but still…Zylie's words made me wonder. I don't believe in all of this celestial lore, but do the Seers? Could they have been trying to make a god?

What am I thinking? It doesn't matter if they were trying to make a god or not. There is no such thing as celestials or gods. There is the Force.

Marcus is a Force user and that's it.

**.**

**.**

**_Entry 147_ **

Things have settled down in the past weeks. I was offered the command of a company of Void Jumpers or to take on the role of a Force instructor. If I chose the latter I would assist my father in training the Indupar Knights…including my son. That was not a difficult choice. I wanted more time with my son and taking on the role of his instructor would allow me to do just that. Also, I would be given the title of Master…so Ben can't rub his promotion in my face anymore.

My father brought me down to the palace quartermaster shop where I would be issued my uniform. I have to admit, the Indupar Knights have a much sharper ensemble than the boring Jedi Knight robes. The outfit was similar to Imperial Knights red and black armor and cape, but the color scheme was dark blue and black. When I suited up I came out of the dressing room and addressed my father who was waiting for me. "Dad, why don't you wear this uniform instead of that pompous, gold encrusted get-up you've been wearing?"

My father rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to advertise that I was a Force-user when I was supervising the negotiations for the stygium crystals." He walked a circle around me as he inspected my new outfit. "That looks good on you." His bushy red beard couldn't hide his wide grin. "You'll make a great Master of the King's Knights."

I cocked my head to the side. "I thought that was your title."

My father puffed out his chest. "I was promoted to War Master and Supreme Guardian of the realm."

I snorted. "You made that name up."

He laughed. "Of course I did…but it is still my official title."

I groaned. I have no doubt that I will see that nameplate tacked to his office wall by the end of the week.

"Where's Marcus?"

My father put a hand on my shoulder as he guided me to the door. "I'll bring you to him."

.

.

**_Entry 148_ **

My father brought me to the local hospital and rehabilitation center. "What's he doing here?"

"It's his new past time. You'll see." I followed my father into the therapy gym and to a back chamber equipped with two-way mirrors allowing the occupants in the room to view the interior of the gym covertly. Inside my son stood at the non-reflective side of the glass gazing at a number of youngsters doing balancing exercises. Two young males were walking up and down physical therapy stairs under the watchful eye of therapists. Another male was throwing a medicine ball up against a wall while a young female was trying her best to maintain her balance on top of a wobble board.

Marcus looked in my direction and motioned me over. "Hi, I was just checking out the progress of some of the people we liberated from the various slave traders."

A look of disapproval crossed my father's face before looking down at his wrist chrono. "Sorry, but I have to go." He pointed to Marcus. "This is not healthy."

When my father left I turned my attention to my son. "What's that all about?"

Marcus made a dismissive wave of his hand. "Nothing. Grandfather is just over protective."

"About what?"

Marcus blushed slightly. "About my interest in the girl."

"Oh," I said with a wide grin. "You have a crush?"

"No, it's not like that," he said with a shake of his head. "I worry about her."

I went to the glass and looked at the young female on the wobble board. She looked about Marcus' age, with tanned skin and dark curly hair. Her face was a mask of concentration as she practiced balancing. I noticed white scars crisscrossing her face and neck. Her injuries might be more extensive, but a one-piece overall hid the rest of her body. "What happened to her?"

Marcus averted his eyes. "I guess the better question would be what hasn't happened to her." He reached up and ran his hand over his eyes and cheeks in an attempt to hide tears. "After I led the attack on the Nagai, grandfather lectured me about war and how it changes a person. I didn't listen. What I did on Ec Pand felt right. In my mind it was was heroic and justified. I didn't feel bad about killing that general. I thought as long as I was doing something for the right cause I would avoid the traumatic stress of war. For that reason I decided to lead the Vong on their first attack against the slave masters on Karazak. I was doing something honorable and we were going to try to minimize casualties. I didn't think anything that I did there would weigh on my mind, but I was wrong." He pointed to the young lady in the gym. "Her name is T'zana. My men found her post surgery. I have no idea what gruesome limb grafting was fated for her, but they had surgically amputated both legs below the knees, both arms at the forearms and removed both eyes."

I groaned in disgust. "Oh Force, Marcus, you shouldn't have had to see that."

He nodded solemnly. "I know...it is something no one should have to see." He drew in a deep breath. "Anyway, she was still sedated. We evacuated her to the ship and placed in the medical center. She was weaned off sedation and the ventilator. She was still groggy…but at one point she woke up…and screamed. I could hear her screams all the way down the corridor. She was looking back and forth yelling for us to turn on the lights…but they were already on. She must have felt the bandages on her face and tried to reach up to pull them off…but she didn't have any hands." Marcus voice cracked. "The screams…" He lowered his head and cried. "I will never forget the sound."

"Oh, Marcus." I wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "She's safe now. They are all safe. You saved them from a lifetime of horrors."

He tried to force a smile on his face, but couldn't quite manage. "We had to wait until she was fully healed to be fitted with prosthesis. She is getting the hang of her new limbs. It is taking a little longer to acclimate to the ocular implants."

"Good, good," I said softly. "Has her family been notified that she's here?"

He looked at me grimly. "They are the ones who sold her to the slavers for drug money. I would build a dungeon to throw them into, but I discovered they overdosed only days after she was sold."

I groaned is disgust. "Are you going to offer her citizenship?"

"Yes…and any medical or psychological help she needs along with occupational training."

"That's good. So…your granddad doesn't like you obsessing over her injuries. I can understand that."

I thought he was going to argue with me but he nodded in agreement. "Seeing her does bring back the memories, but it is a thousand times worse for her."

We stood there in silence before I draped as arm around my son, desperate to change the subject. "Come on, let's show Zylie my cool new uniform."

He smiled broadly. "Now that you are a Force instructor are you going to let me spar with you?"

I gave his shoulder a squeeze. "As long as you promise not to punch me in the groin like you did when sparing with your grandfather. Zylie wants a baby."

"I can't promise you anything, but I guess we can wait a few days before sparing."

My eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," he laughed. "I was just joking, Dad."

I don't like it when a seer-in-training jokes about the future, but I let it slide. We went to my apartment and Zylie was very impressed with my outfit. We had a great lunch and then Marcus left to do some King business. Once he was gone Zylie and I got down to business…if you know what I mean. Ha!

.

.

**_Entry 149_ **

I got some awesome news today! Zylie's pregnant! We are both thrilled. Mom and Dad are ecstatic. When I told Marcus he appeared surprised and happy. I believe the happy part, but I have a feeling that he already knew. I guess I just have to get used to living with a seer.

 


	42. Chapter 42

**_Entry 150_ **

I wanted to go over to Ec Pand and show off my new armor to Ben…but I realized I had a problem. The emblem holding on the cape was the same rising sun insignia we all saw in the anti-slavery videos that Hanna captured on her body cam. As far as I knew Ben and the Jedi still believe Mokk Streke's story about what happened on Coruscant with the virus and the Sith cult and that the slave trader raids were conducted by a group called the _Outer Rim Abolition coalition (ORAC)._ When he sees the rising sun symbol on my uniform he will immediately know Marcus at the very least funded the coalition. Once he knows I've been lying to him about one thing he will dig and dig until he knows the entire truth.

I talked to Marcus about this problem and he gazed at me in surprise (I didn't know I could surprise a seer) and said, "You haven't told Ben everything? We no longer need to keep secrets from our family." He hesitated for a moment before refining that statement. "I guess I should say _you_ don't need to keep secrets any longer."

I was perplexed by that comment. "What do you mean by that?"

He gave me a knowing look. "Grandpa has secrets that still need to be kept."

"Oh." I wasn't sure if Marcus was referring to Sith knowledge my dad possessed or secrets involving the Hapan plague. I decided it was best to drop the subject.

I am off to Ec Pand.

.

.

**_Entry 151_ **

I wore my new Indupar armor with gold braid around the sleeves indicating the rank of Master to meet Ben at the new Jedi Temple. I had taken off the cape, folded it carefully and carried it in my hands. I arrived to Ben and Valla's quarters and stood outside their door nervously before ringing their door buzzer. After a few minutes Valla greeted me at the door.

"Talon!" She said as she gave me a warm hug. "It's so good to see you." She looked around me. "Zylie's not here? I wanted to congratulate you two about the baby."

"Sorry, I'm here on business. Is Ben around?"

"Sure," she motioned for me to follow her. She led me down a hallway to a backroom. She opened the door and then pointed inside. "There you go. You'll have to excuse me. I have some work to do for my dad's business."

I entered what was obviously Ben's home office. There were built-in bookcases filled with old-fashioned tomes, holocrons, Jedi regalia and other assorted knickknacks. I spied Ben sitting behind a large wooden desk. He was wearing his Jedi robes while gazing at his datapad in deep concentration. It had been a couple weeks since I seen my cousin and I was shocked to see he was now growing a beard. He looked up to me and smiled as he stood to greet me.

"Hey Talon." He moved around his desk to shake my hand and give me a brotherly hug. He then stepped back and gave me an appraising look. "Is that the new Indupar Knight outfit?" He whistled as he walked around me. "Wow, that does look nice." He motioned to the office's sitting area. "Take a seat."

I sat on one of the two cushioned chairs as Ben sat across from me. "I hear you are going to be a father."

I grinned ear-to-ear. "Yeah. Zylie and I are excited. When are you and Valla going to take the plunge? I know your parents have to be bugging you."

He smiled with a shrug. "We're talking about it. She wants to get things worked out with the family business before she makes a decision." He looked at me expectantly for a long moment before he spoke again. "So, what can I do for you?"

I looked down at the folded cape in my hands. "Ben, I haven't been completely truthful with you when it came to the events in the last few months." I pulled in a deep cleansing breath and then let it out slowly as I stood. "I guess the best way to break the news is to show you." I wrapped the cape around my shoulders and clipped it in place with the emblem with the symbol of the Bright Path on it. I was waiting for Ben to pull in a shocked breath when he recognized the symbol, but he didn't say a thing. I thought perhaps he forgot about the holovid his sister brought back. "Do you see anything peculiar about the outfit?" I finally asked.

Ben shook his head. "No, should I?"

I pointed to the cape clasp. "I'd thought you would have questions about this symbol."

A slight smile tugged on his lips. "Oh yeah, I have a question. When were you going to tell me that Marcus was the leader of the Vong Void Jumpers liberating slaves, or that the Sith Cult didn't release the virus on Coruscant, but it was really Mokk Streke?"

My jaw dropped. "How did you find out?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "I am a Jedi Sentinel and I am a Jedi Master…and you are a lousy liar."

I could feel my face heat with a blush. "How did you figure it out?"

Ben chuckled softly. "Remember when I told you what the Coruscant Intelligence agent reported to the Masters? When I said the Sith wannabe's stole the virus and accidently released it you said something like, _'Wait, is Streke actually saying the Sith cult is responsible for the virus release?_ ' and I asked you if something else happened? Well you got all panicky in the Force and made some excuse that you were just asking questions. It was obvious that you were hiding something from me. I didn't question you about it because I knew the only reason you usually lie is to protect family members."

He leaned back in his chair and gazed at me thoughtfully. "I figured you would eventually tell me the truth. In the meantime I did some investigating. If the cult didn't release the midichlorian killing virus then maybe Mokk Streke did the deed to neutralize these criminal Force users. This would explain why he ordered the Jedi off planet. Void jumpers were present at the arrests of the various cult members. They were wearing the silver armor that the Vong Void Jumpers were known to wear. Initially I was confused as to how they were involved, but while here on Ec Pand I was able to use their library and I ran a search on the rising sun symbol. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was one of the various symbols of the State Church of the Bright Path. Since the Indupar Crown Worlds are not part of the Galactic Alliance this information was not known outside of the Indupar system. I knew then that you were either protecting Marcus or your father. But that still left the question of who was the Void Jumper that my sister talked to. That man was not a Force user, so he couldn't have been your dad or Marcus. She said she was sure he was at your knighting ceremony and your wedding. I know you said you looked over all of the invites to both events and all of your Void Jumper buddies had alibis for the days my sister spoke to the man, but I figured you would forget to look at the list of the hired help or security personnel and guess who I found present on both of those occasions?"

I looked down at the floor before answering. "Deke Tavik."

Ben grinned as he pointed a finger at me. "You got it. You're dad's best friend who coincidently supplied us with the holovid of the Vong and warned all of us that Streke was building an army of Jedi killers and that we should leave Coruscant. This is also the same guy who gets awesome intel that has saved the life of Tenel Ka and her family over and over again. My guess is his intel is coming from either Marcus or the seers. Or am I wrong?"

I looked away shamefaced. "No, you're right…I guess you know everything."

Ben barked out a caustic laugh. "No, but I intend on getting my unanswered questions resolved now."

"Okay," I said slowly. I came over to Ec Pand to reveal to Ben the truth, so he could ask any question he wants and I would answer…well, maybe I would keep quiet about the Galaxy Gun. Nobody needs to know that my father and son contemplated genocide. "What do you want to know?"

Ben leaned back in his chair. "Is your dad the mimetic man?"

I nodded.

"Was Streke actually attacked by a man with a lightsaber?"

"Yes and it was my father that saved him."

Ben's brow shot up. "That I didn't figure. So one of those cult members attacked Streke?"

"No," I muttered. "I mean yes…sort of."

Ben ran a hand over his face in frustration. "Talon, don't make me play fifty questions with you. Just tell me what's going on."

I shifted in my chair uncomfortably. "It wasn't a cult of weak Force users. Coruscant was infiltrated by Sith…actual card-carrying Sith Lords from a planet named Kesh. They got trapped on that outer rim world over a thousand years ago. From what my dad said the Sith Meditation Sphere helped some Sith escape and they were the ones pirating ships in Imperial space. They came to Coruscant and were trying to infiltrate the government. The seers figured it out and came up with a solution such as the virus or using Vong Void jumpers to eventually capture or kill the Sith."

Ben just sat there dumbfounded. "Why didn't you tell the Jedi?"

I looked down at the floor. "Because the seers said the Jedi would interfere with ending the problem?"

"What?" Ben waved his hand at me in frustration. "Why would the Jedi interfere with the capture of Sith?"

I blew out a nervous breath. "If the virus didn't work…then they might have to be killed."

Ben gazed at me intently. "You and I both know lethal force might have to be used in any apprehension. What is the real reason, Talon?"

Kriff! He knew I was lying about something. "I think it is best that you don't know the details. It could cause a rift between our families."

Ben gazed down at the floor. I could tell he was disappointed in me. "Talon, I have kept your son secret from my family since we first discovered his paternity. You know you can trust me."

"I know I can Ben. That's not the reason I don't want to tell you."

"Then why?" he insisted.

I looked away. "Because my father and Marcus made some decisions that even I couldn't stomach. I can't imagine how you would feel about the truth."

That comment drove him to silence for a long while. "Talon…are we talking about a slip to the darkside?"

I chuckled softly. "No, nothing that bad."

When I didn't continue Ben said, "Talon, your father has saved both of our lives. He has saved the lives of my parents and your mother. He was instrumental in preventing the Vong invasion. He helped bring Jacen back from the darkside. He destroyed a Sith meditation sphere and you just told me he helped rid Coruscant of a Sith menace. I don't think there is anything you can say about your father that will change my view of him. He was my Jedi Master and I love and respect him. Nothing will change that."

I remained in silent contemplation.

"Come on," Ben exclaimed. "You know you want to tell me."

I laughed nervously. "The _'come on'_ argument only works on my father." I paused. "But I do want to tell you." I closed my eyes briefly before forging on. "My dad told me that if the virus didn't work to neutralize the Sith and the government couldn't blockade Kesh to keep them contained…then there was talk of using the Galaxy Gun to destroy the Sith planet."

"Oh," Ben muttered softly. He ran a hand over his chin stubble in thought. "They didn't have to use the gun…did they?"

"No."

Ben nodded. "It was a contingency plan that didn't come to pass. I assume the seers were giving Marcus and your father guidance as to the possible future outcomes. They must have seen the possibility of something very, very bad in the future for your father to contemplate the destruction of a planet."

"What I worry about is your dad's response." I looked Ben in the eye. "You know he still has problems with the use of the Galaxy Gun on the Vong invaders. What will he think if he knew my dad anticipated using the weapon again? It could cause a rift between our fathers."

"Yeah, I can see your concern." He gave a weary smile. "Unlike the Vong invasion, the Galaxy Gun was not used. It was just a _'what if'_ contingency plan to handle the worst-case scenario. I don't see the need to tell my father about that small detail."

I let out a relieved breath. "Thanks."

He gave a reassuring gesture. "No problem. Can I assume all the secrets have now been revealed?"

A frustrated groan escaped my lips. "Not really. There is the fact that the seers hired Jorus C'baoth's geneticist cloner to create my father without the dark Jedi's knowledge and place him somewhere where your dad and Han would find him so that my father would create Shatter Points that could lead to possible futures without war. Oh yeah, the geneticist also did genetic alterations in my father's DNA to make him less likely to turn to the darkside because they knew he could gain Palpatine's memories."

Ben's jaw went slack. "What?"

I had to chuckle at my cousin's surprise. I guess the awesome Jedi Sentinel didn't see that one coming. Ha!

I spent the next hour telling Ben all I knew about the Sith situation. It felt good not having to hide the truth from my best friend.

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**_Entry 152_**  
The last few weeks have flown by. Ben explained everything to his parents and I didn't get too much grief from them about keeping secrets. I am fairly certain Ben didn't mention the Galaxy Gun to Uncle Luke or Aunt Mara because they never brought it up in a conversation.

Tonight my parents, Marcus, Zylie and I are attending the official opening and dedication of the new Jedi Temple. Marcus won't be the only royal in attendance. There will be Queen Tenel Ka and her family and Emperor and Empress Fel. I am a little nervous because this will be the first time my entire family gets to meet my son.

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**_Entry 153_ **

We docked the royal shuttle in the temple's largest docking bay. My mother and Zylie were decked out in formal dresses. My father and I were wearing the blue and black armor of the Indupar Knights. Marcus donned a dark blue military frockcoat with gold aiguillette over his right shoulder (which I was told signified royalty) and a red sash over his left. He wore his lightsaber clipped to a black leather belt on his waist.

"How do I look?" Marcus asked as he straightened his coat and belt.

"You look so cute," Zylie practically cooed.

My father frowned. "Handsome. Boys are handsome."

"He is a very handsome boy," my mother agreed happily.

Marcus rolled his eyes and probably wished he never asked the question.

I lowered the ship boarding-ramp and we all filed down. My father and I were in the lead, followed by my son and behind him the ladies. As we walked across the bay I noticed many of the Indupar citizens working within the bay drop down to the floor, prostrating themselves in reverence to my son. I was a little surprised. I have seen his loyal subjects bow or kneel but I've never witnessed them dropping to their knees and bending forward until their face was on the ground as I did now. I looked back to Marcus and saw him waving for the people to rise. When he realized I was looking at him he blushed. "They are not bowing because I am king. They are Bright Path followers. To them I am something more."

When Marcus didn't elaborate my father whispered to me. "To them he is their god."

We departed the bay and entered an elevator that would bring us to the main hall on the ground floor. Upon exiting the elevator my senses were assaulted by the blare of brass horns announcing the entrance of the king. This was followed a very loud, baritone voiced shouting, "Ladies and gentle beings, His Majesty King Marcus of Indupar!" At this point the Indupar National Anthem began to play. We stood at attention until the music ended. Marcus then waved to all in attendance. "Please carry on."

I then acted as Marcus' Aide-de-camp and introduced him to all in attendance, to include Jaina and Jag and then Tenel Ka and Jacen.

I suppressed a groan when Jacen called his daughters over and introduced them to the young king. "Your Highness, this is my youngest, Princess Tella an her older sister Princess Allana."

Allana extended her hand in greeting. "I have been looking forward to meeting you."

Marcus gave her a devastating smile that I swear made the preteen Princess practically swoon. I glared at Jacen who made a 'what?' expression.

He knows they are second cousins, but doesn't care. According to Jacen, just about every eligible Hapan royal male that Allana could marry is related to her in some way. To Hapans second cousins are more than just 'kissing cousins'; they are marriage material.

I guided Marcus away from Allana…much to the Princess' displeasure…and over to his other cousins. Anakin and Tahiri were there minus their children. According to Anakin, "We wanted some time alone as a couple."

I waved to Ben when I saw him. He has a full-fledged red beard going on. He looks like a younger version of my father. "Nice to see you Marcus," he said as he pulled my son into a hug. I noticed some of the wait staff appeared shocked by my cousin's familiarity, but they quickly returned to work when they realized their King was smiling warmly and not at all offended.

My father had wandered off and was talking to Tenel Ka's head security officer, Deke Tavik. When Hanna Skywalker walked by Deke he called out to her. "Hey Hanna, nice seeing you again," he said with a smirk and a wink.

She shook her head in frustration. "I should stun you right here and now as payback."

Deke smiled broadly. "I'm sorry about that, but I wouldn't have stunned you if you hadn't been stalking me." He motioned a hand down his body. "But I can understand the allure. I am gorgeous."

Hanna pointed to Deke. "I don't know how Tenel Ka tolerates you." She then turned and stormed off.

"Master Tantiss," my son whispered to me. "I need to join the Grand Master at the podium."

I nodded as I escorted my son to the end of the room where I saw Uncle Luke standing. My son and I address each other formally when in public. Although my family now knows our relationship to each other, the general public is still unaware of Marcus' real paternity.

Marcus climbed the steps up to the stage where the podium was located. I remained at the foot of the stairs acting as security. Marcus shook Uncle Luke's hand and then motioned to the podium, indicating that Luke should start the ceremony.

"I am delighted to welcome everybody to the dedication ceremony of the new Jedi Temple," Uncle Luke began. "I am greatly honored to have so many regal guests in attendance—King Marcus of Indupar, Emperor and Empress Fel, Queen Tenel Ka of Hapes, along with her Royal Consort Jacen Solo and my sister, the Former Princess of Alderaan." Luke waited for the light applause to die down before continuing. "I first and foremost wish to extend my thanks to King Marcus for graciously donating such a beautifully designed building for the Jedi to train and live. The facility has all the amenities seen in the Coruscant temple and much more. King Marcus and I have discussed joint training ventures between the Jedi and Indupar Knights and I look forward to a long and rewarding relationship between our two organizations."

Uncle Luke then turned the podium over to Marcus.

"Thank you, Grand Master Skywalker, and a heartfelt thanks to all the Jedi Knights and Masters who have pledged to assist in the defense of Ec Pand and ensure the safety of our stygium crystal mines. As most people know, the crystals are used in the creation of cloaking devices. If a hostile government captured the crystals they could become a formable foe with the ability to spread death and destruction throughout the galaxy unchecked. The Indupar Crown Worlds and the Galactic Alliance are determined to safeguard such a powerful military asset." Marcus looked at the Jedi in attendance and smiled warmly. "The Indupar people and I are dedicated to making the Jedi feel at home. If there is anything the Order desires I will strive to meet your needs. Thank you once again. I look forward to meeting each and every one of you in the coming weeks and months." He turned the microphone over to the Grand Master.

"Thank you, King Marcus." He looked over the crown and grinned. "I'm not going to stand up here and give a longwinded speech."

That comment was greeted by a loud applause causing Luke to laugh. "King Marcus and I want to keep this informal. We will be milling around answering questions. Also there is an open bar in the next room over."

Somebody gave out a loud, excited shout. I turned and realized it was Uncle Han who was already moving toward the free alcohol.

As I walked through the grand hall shaking hands with old friends a sense of tranquility fell over me. Marcus had told me when he looked to the time streams he saw peace. I like the sound of that. I will be able to live in peace on Indupar and raise my son…and in seven months Zylie and I will welcome a new life into the world. We haven't officially found out the sex from the doctor…Zylie said she wants to be surprised, but it is hard to surprise a Force-user. I can sense the baby is a girl. I'm going to have a girl!

Everything is turning out perfect. It was a hard, bumpy road getting to this point, but it was well worth it.

I have a wonderful son, a beautiful pregnant wife and all of my family located in one solar system.

I used to get angry when I thought about what the seers did to manipulate my family, but everything turned out for the best. This couldn't have worked out better if I planned it myself.

I am looking forward to what the future will bring.

 


End file.
